2 suspects steal $5,000 worth of eyeglasses from Georgetown store

Two suspects were caught by surveillance cameras getting away in a silver Dodge minivan after getting away with about $5,000 worth of glasses from Georgetown Optician.

WASHINGTON - Police are looking for the two suspects who stole $5,000 worth of eyeglasses from Georgetown Optician.

The burglary happened around 3 a.m. Thursday, according to D.C. police. The two suspects were caught by surveillance cameras getting away in a silver Dodge minivan after getting away with about $5,000 worth of glasses from Georgetown Optician. They were headed northeast on Wisconsin Ave., police said.

Tanita Yates is a manager at the dessert shop L.A. Burdick next door.

"I hope they [business] do well. I hope God blesses them and everything and makes everything better. You don’t want that happening to your business. People need to eat. Families need to eat, like that broke my heart when I saw that. That really broke my heart. I hope they fix that," Yates said.

Last year, Georgetown Opticians’ location at the Wharf was targeted by thieves who got away with stealing 81 designer glasses worth $140,000. In the most recent incident on Thursday, police said the suspects got away with five pairs of glasses.

Guy Williams of DCA Landscape Architects next door said he knows the Georgetown store owner.

"I feel really bad for businesses like this one where they’re a great fabric of the community. They have been here forever. People have really been taking advantage of that and nobody can get to the bottom of how to really solve it, because he’s [the owner] taken every security measure…has cameras, has guards, has everything and followed through on element and even taken it in his own hands of finding out where’s my stuff going once it gets stolen?" Williams told FOX 5.

Williams said the Georgetown store has been here for several years.

"What’s been sad, I think, that has been on a lot of the small businesses and small business owners is that certain types of businesses are being targeted, because of the merchandise they sell that they can turn around and get a high return on what they’re stealing," he said. "I think a lot of people get sad that…why do I have to keep over and over and over again making insurance claims when it’s just going to turn around and make your insurance premium be even higher? Then you’re really not getting to the bottom of the problem."

Anyone who can identify these suspects, this vehicle or who has knowledge of this incident should police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE at 50411.

The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for a crime committed in the District of Columbia.