DETROIT – Waheed Ahmed has owned J-Bees clothing store on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit for 26 years.
The store had been robbed before, but what he saw on his security cameras on Monday (Sept. 8) morning astounded him.
“When I get here, the police was already here, but the damage has already been done. Merchandise was gone,” Ahmed, 57, said on Monday.
He was standing next to two shattered windows and a mangled gate, which were remnants of a brazen smash-and-grab robbery.
The incident occurred in a flash just before 5 a.m.
At 4:49 a.m., the thieves arrived in two vehicles: a white minivan and a black pickup truck.
At least a dozen of them quickly poured out of the minivan, reminiscent of a clown car, while another group hopped out of the pickup.
“They moved quick,” Dee, the store’s general manager, said. “They had an idea what they wanted. They came in basically, let’s get it and go.”
Dee, who had been working at the store for 15 years, seethed as he discussed the theft.
It was the second time this year that the store had been robbed in such a brutal fashion.
“They had like 12 to 15 guys,” Dee said. “This is a routine. This is probably something that they do on the daily.”
By 4:53 am, the crew had smashed in a window and door, forced open the gate, and stormed the store, grabbing all the clothes they could find.
They cleared tables and shelves out, destroyed mannequins, and broke into a back office.
The crew was gone by 4:56 a.m. – in and out in less than 10 minutes – having stolen an estimated $90,000 worth of clothing.
The chaotic precision of the theft had both Dee and Ahmed feeling like this was a targeted hit.
“I feel like someone came in and scoped the store out,” Dee said. “They took a look around and seen where everything was at, where everything was set up – like the high-end merchandise – and that’s what they went after."
Dee said that robberies like this are tiresome, and he feels the store needs more security and better protection with the help of Detroit police.
Both Ahmed and his general manager are frustrated with this type of crime, as they want to keep businesses like this in the neighborhood.
“You know, when you’re in the community, you’re trying to bring good brands to the community, try to bring good quality things to the community, and you build a relationship with certain customers,” Dee said. “So, it’s like, what you gonna do? You gonna shut it down or you gonna stay open?”
“I love this neighborhood,” Ahmed said. “It’s been 26 years, so I am seeing a third generation in my place, so I get connected with the third generation.”
“I really enjoy doing business with them,” Ahmed added. “But I say it’s getting frustrating.”
Detroit police detectives arrived on Monday afternoon to gather information about the robbery.
Ahmed says that between the damage and the lost product, even with insurance, he could be out at least $200,000 when it’s all said and done.
“I believe in karma,” Dee said. “I don’t fight fire with fire. Eventually, they’re gonna get caught.”