OAKHURST – A local business was hit with a burglary on Saturday, June 13, as a brazen thief smashed the glass entrance and quickly swiped nearly $2000 worth of goods at Oakhurst Computers.
Owner Scott Cockerham has the entire incident recorded on tape from one of eight cameras in a ten camera security system he uses to monitor the location constantly.
The security footage shows what appears to be a white male suspect as he pulls into a parking space in front of the shop, with his license plate clearly visible.
“He was bold,” says Scott, “He threw a rock, came in, he didn’t take a lot of stuff, and he ran out. It took about 10 seconds.”
The crime occurred about 9 p.m., according to the surveillance tape. The two Apple iMac all-in-one desktop computers stolen were valued at approximately $1,800 combined. According to Scott, who turned a security footage flashdrive over to the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect drove up and got out of the car in front of Oakhurst Computers, and briefly looked into the store.
The cap-wearing criminal then returned to his car, and in a seemingly fluid series of motions, retrieved a large granite rock, walked toward the glass front door while throwing the rock, smashing the glass, then ducked under the door handle and into the shop. He swiftly turned to his right and grabbed the two display computers off a table while pulling the cords out of the sockets. That’s when he dropped his flashlight.
Ducking back under the door handle, the bad guy got into his car with the goods and drove away, apparently making no attempt to hide his face or the license plate of the vehicle he drove. Fortunately for crime-fighters, the bare-handed thief left his flashlight and the rock behind, leaving them for detectives who are presumably testing for fingerprints right now.
Deputy Sheriff Gerald Marin responded to take the report after Scott discovered the burglary when he went into the shop on Sunday afternoon.
“It’s disturbing,” Scott says. “We work hard, and we made it through the recession, and this is a violation.”
Oakhurst Computers has been in business for eight years, and Scott says he’s not going to let this incident get him down for long. The shop offers computer sales and repair, Scott builds custom desktops, sells desktops and laptops, and they even have free pick-up and delivery for certain transactions.
“We have a lot of customers in town and a good reputation. We do the best we can.”
Today, Scott says, they’re busy replacing the glass door and getting back to business as usual.
