Investigators probe possible links between Radio Shack robberies

Smash-and-grab thieves hit a pair of local Radio Shack stores in the early morning hours Monday. As of midday, Palm Beach County Sheriff's investigators were still trying to figure out if the two robberies are linked.

The two impacted stores are located at Lantana and Jog Roads, west of Lantana; and at Okeechobee Boulevard and Military Trail, near West Palm Beach. Window companies responded quickly at both stores, covering the broken front windows with plywood.

At the Okeechobee location, Sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said the thieves broke in, went to the back of the store, and took items valued in the thousands of dollars. They also avoided being captured on the store's video cameras. Just before noon, Barbera was still waiting on details of what happened at the Lantana location.

"I guess people are getting desperate," lamented Marian Hughart, a customer at the Okeechobee Boulevard Radio Shack. "It's the easy way of life-- steal."

Another customer, Jonathan Gordon, was puzzled because the store appeared as if nothing happened. "They didn't really go in and destroy the store," he observed.