SAN FRANCISCO—On Sunday, February 28 at approximately 6 a.m. a suspect tried to break into San Francisco Optics by Alexander Daas, a family-owned business by using a blowtorch. The owner indicated the thief was not successful because the glass was heavily reinforced.
This is the third time burglars have targeted San Francisco Optics since the pandemic started. The owner, Alex Feldman indicated it cost him around $10,000 to repair the damage from all three incidents. Feldman has been reluctant to report the incidents for fear of being dropped or having to pay increased premiums.
There has been an increase in burglars using blowtorches to break into San Francisco businesses. In an interview with KRON4, the President of Warman Security, Peter Badertscher, indicated that he believes that thieves are turning to blowtorches because certain alarms are not as easily triggered when the heat hits the glass.
Business owners are looking for ways to enhance security against threats. Badertscher recommends installing shatter-resistant windows and an additional clear security adhesive film to the windows. He also recommends getting sliding gates which can be expensive.
No additional details about the suspect has been disclosed to the public. Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the San Francisco Police Department 24-hour tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.
