JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — Charleston police are still searching for the person involved in a string of burglaries on James Island. This, after someone broke into several restaurants over the past week.
General Manager Matthew Sanders has clear surveillance video of his restaurant Screen Door being broken into. He said it happened Wednesday around 3:30 a.m.
Sanders said the suspect broke the window of the back door then reached inside and kicked his way into the building.
"He made his way through here in about a five-minute period," Sanders said. "The alarm was going off at that point and then ended up making his way into the office. [He] rummaged through the office, found the safe, wasn't able to go do anything in there and within about four to five minutes he exited the restaurant because police showed up."
The burglar didn't steal anything, but Screen Door employees are beefing up on security.
"When they're going in and out, they're going in groups of two. Now, we're locking the doors as soon as it gets dark -- the lighting around the building. I think we were pretty good about it before, but this really kind of opened Pandora’s Box for us, and I think all the businesses are trying to do that," Sanders said.
Chad Reynolds owns The Barrel just a few miles up the road. He has similar footage but he wasn't as lucky. Reynolds says he's been burglarized twice now, once on August 8 and again this Sunday around 6 a.m. Twelve hundred dollars was stolen in all, but it’s the damage that’s irreplaceable.
"It sucks to loose cash, but I really just didn't like the fact that he messed up my door and my window. This isn't wood you can just go buy at Lowe's. My entire place is reclaimed wood that I’ve reclaimed myself. Most of it came from Buist Academy, and I can't just go back there and start taking wood out of their building. So now, I have to patch it and give it a faux look so it matches again," Reynolds said.
To add to it, Reynolds said he was forced to close the business Sunday. "I didn't have any cash to run the business, you know. I could have done it with all cards, but just also being that I got hit twice, it’s just a downer," he said.
Surveillance screen shots show the suspect at both restaurants having what looks like an identical tattoo. "It’s definitely one of the same guys for sure, with the three star tattoo on his right forearm," Reynolds said.

Still, Reynolds is trying to find the positive in all this.
“I’ve had over 120 shares and 20 something thousand people have seen it. I’ve actually gotten a couple leads from it. I think I’m getting a few more likes on Facebook, so there’s a positive,” Reynolds said.
Charleston police are investigating the break-ins. If you know any information you’re asked to call Crime Stoppers at 554-111.

Source: http://abcnews4.com/news/local/suspect-sought-in-string-of-james-island-burglaries

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