ASHEBORO, N.C. — A string of break-ins at an Asheboro shopping plaza has business owners frustrated.
Police arrested Daniel Albright for the crimes, but businesses in the area said it doesn’t ease their minds much.
GP Hamspal owns The Coffee Xchange. He said he has lingering concerns.
Asheboro police said Albright broke into two businesses in the Specialty Shops shopping plaza four months ago.
He got out of jail and got inside five other shops this past holiday weekend.
Hamspal said he's fed up.
"We've had customers turn away. They don't look at the open sign. They look at the door and think we're closed and turn around," Hamspal said. "We're losing business - that's my livelihood that's bread and butter."
The cardboard in place of the business door is the result of the holiday break-in.
Asheboro Police said Albright broke into the coffee shop along with four other businesses in the shopping plaza on the Fourth of July.
Hamspal said his cameras caught Albright in the act.
We weren't able to retrieve the footage but Hamspal described what he saw.
"There was beer spilled everywhere. The guy who is now in custody, our camera caught him drinking a beer and walking around in here while he was shopping," Hamspal shared. "Most of our stock in the beer case is gone."
Officers executed a search warrant at Albright's home on Spring Street in Asheboro and found evidence of the crime.
On July 5, Albright was found near his home and was arrested. He was served multiple felony warrants for breaking and entering, larceny, and possession of stolen goods.
Albright didn't get away with any cash but his behavior cost Hamspal thousands.
"He took the tablet. It's our source for taking cards. That was stolen. It's going to take time because the door is not cheap. Finding a door and having someone install it is thousands of dollars," Hamspal said. "Money we don't have right now."
Although frustrated, Hamspal said he's thankful the Asheboro Police Department made a quick arrest the following day.
But he can't help but still feel a bit uneasy.
"They caught him, but how long is he going to be in jail this time around? Because he had a rap sheet when he broke into the hair salon next door," Hamspal said. "People like that need to stay in."
This investigation is ongoing.
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