Memphis business owners frustrated by ongoing burglaries
by: Melissa Moon
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Some business owners in Southeast Memphis are fed up after being targeted by criminals for months.
Early Sunday morning, police responded to a break-in at L & W Supply in the 1800 block of John Paul Drive off Lamar.
From nearly 2,000 miles away, a California man watched as two people cut through the gate in front of his Memphis warehouse to gain access to L & W Supply next door.
“I spent a lot of money fixing that gate from the last several times that they’ve broken into it, and I thought I had it, but they got some pretty good power tools,” said John Mihovetz.
John Mihovetz said L & W has been burglarized at least one other time since the beginning of the year.
The auto wrap shop on the other side of his business was also hit, and thieves stripped his 50,000-square-foot warehouse clean.
“They stole a lot of the wire in the plumbing, so we had to go back to restore the power, and plumbing will be next,” Mihovetz said.
Mihovetz plans to manufacture race car parts and hopes to begin production before the end of the year.
He said the damage to the warehouse has cost him thousands and delayed his move to Memphis.
“It’s pretty disappointing. You know, to have invested as much money as I have in the area, you know we’re trying to leave Southern California because of similar circumstances, and it’s pretty disappointing to find similar circumstances where we want to go.”
Mihovetz said that after the January break-ins, police put up a SkyCop camera, but a couple of weeks later, they took it down, and the criminals returned.
“I think that once we’re in the facility and people see more activity, more lights, more sirens, and more people, chances are they’ll just go to an easier target,” Mihovetz said.
Police said the burglars at L & W on Sunday broke a lock on the back door but could not get past some pallets blocking the doorway.
If you know anything about any of the burglaries, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.
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