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Police: Thieves crash truck into pawn shop

A Stone Mountain pawn shop is closed Wednesday afternoon as police investigate a smash-and-grab burglary.

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Police said thieves used a black pickup truck to back into Stone Mountain Pawn Shop on Rockbridge Road. When that didn't work, one of the burglars  pushed through a side wall and used a hammer to smash into a glass display case.

Surveillance video from the robbery that happened about 3:30 a.m. shows the thief grab a gun case and take off.

The pawn shop owner told Channel 2's Sophia Choi the gun case was empty.

"In the back there's Apple laptops, there's iPads and stuff like that.  And why would you walk over here, bust this knowing that there's no guns in here? It's very obvious," said pawn shop owner Rick Bryan.

Channel 2 Action News crews were at the pawn shop Wednesday morning when police started their investigation and a tow truck hauled off the stolen pickup.

Bryan said it's the third time burglars have hit his pawn shop in the last year.

This time, there were three to four thieves involved and the owner thinks he knows who might be behind it.

Police told Choi the thieves left behind the pickup truck used to slam into the building.

Bryan said it's going to cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to fix the mess.

The pawn shop burglary comes after a string of smash-and-grabs in metro Atlanta.

Earlier Wednesday morning, thieves used a pickup truck to drive into a Chevron gas station on Riverdale Road in College Park. Police said the culprit got away with an ATM.

Tuesday morning, thieves drove into Sweet Auburn Market on Edgewood Avenue and also got away with an ATM.