Bud’s Glass Joint, a shop specializing in smoking products located on First Street just north of Roosevelt Street, fell victim to a robbery early Wednesday afternoon.
An iPad valued at $300, which the store used as a credit card machine with a Square card reader, was stolen off of a display case inside the store. This robbery comes just two weeks after Lawn Gnome Publishing was robbed of about $1,500 worth of equipment and employee paychecks.
According to the Phoenix Police Department report, one man entered Bud’s Glass Joint, inquired about some items, then walked out. A different man then entered the store and asked about some more items in the shop. When store employee Michael Moran turned his back on the man to grab something off of a shelf in the back of the store, the man swiped the iPad off the counter and ran out of the store with the product.
Moran briefly chased the thief but decided to stop and call the police because he didn’t know if either man had a weapon and did not want to leave the store unattended.
“(The first man) seemed pretty cool, I didn’t get any off vibes from him and then his buddy came in and I thought it was weird that he was wearing gloves,” Moran said. “By the time I turned back around I noticed something didn’t look right here and then I saw him already out the door.”
Bud’s Glass Joint has had the iPad since fall 2012, when the store first opened. Moran, who has been working at Bud’s Glass Joint since September, said a cell phone was stolen off of a counter inside the store just a week ago.
“Any time something like this happens you always have to step it up because it’s always a learning experience,” said Greg Centrone, the owner of Bud’s Glass Joint. “We have multiple cameras and alarm systems and we don’t keep too much cash on hand.”
Both Moran and Centrone said they believe it wasn’t an amateur robbery attempt and that they think both men were “professional” thieves. Centrone added that the new iPad that will replace the stolen one will most likely be bolted down to the counter or kept in the back room.
“I didn’t think anyone could steal it, that’s just not where my mind is at,” Moran said. “I was surprised and then I was just bummed, it just really ruins your morning.”
Centrone and Moran said they don’t believe there is a connection between the robbery at Bud’s Glass Joint and the robbery earlier in February at Lawn Gnome Publishing, located a few blocks away on Fifth Street.
“It’s concerning, but not a cause of deep concern. This is unfortunately part of the growing pains of a growing area of Phoenix,” said Vermon Pierre, president of the board for the Roosevelt Row Community Development Corporation. “All of us who live and work along Roosevelt Row will need to work together to be more aware and take some precautions like many other businesses and establishments in areas like ours.”
Lawn Gnome Publishing owner Aaron Hopkins-Johnson declined to comment until the suspect in the robbery of his business is caught and the stolen items are replaced.
Bud’s Glass Joint posted a photo and video of the crime, caught on security camera, on its Facebook and Twitter pages in order to spread the word about the robbery and to try and catch the suspects.
“The whole community as far as social media has been super supportive in sharing the video and the picture,” Centrone said.
Bud’s Glass Joint was open for business on Thursday and Moran returned to work. He said he was unfazed because he had been the victim of petty theft before.
According to the police report, the second suspect who left the store with the iPad was between 30 and 35 years old with red hair standing 5 feet 10 inches and weighing 190 pounds. He carried a green backpack and wore a gray hat with a gray shirt, black pants and black tennis shoes.
The two suspects were last seen fleeing Bud’s Glass Joint on bicycles headed westbound on Roosevelt Street.
Contact the reporter at nkruege1@asu.edu
