Massachusetts

‘Like Ninjas': Crawling, Masked Burglars Strike NH Gas Station

Authorities think the "night crawler crew" is part of a regional crew responsible for committing burglaries in southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts

A pair of burglars, part of a group being dubbed the "night crawler crew," has struck again — this time at a gas station in Pelham, New Hampshire, police say.

Surveillance video captured the break-in, in which the burglar's looked "like ninjas," according to the gas sation's shocked owner.

Officers responded to an alarm call at the BP gas station on Bridge Street at about 3 a.m. Monday to find that a skylight had been pushed in. No one was inside the building.

When owner George Melhem arrived, he discovered an undisclosed amount of tobacco products had been taken from the store, according to Pelham police.

Surveillance video showed two masked men, one all in black, breaking in through the roof of the store and crawling around on the floor.

"They're professionals the way they're jumping up and down — they're like ninjas," Melhem said. "I was shocked when I saw the video to be honest."

The men made off with $10,000 worth of merchandise but Melhem says the most valuable thing stolen was his sense of security.

"It's just ... you don't feel safe, you know? I don't like that feeling," he said.

Authorities think the "night crawler crew" is part of a regional crew responsible for committing burglaries in southern New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

A similar robbery took place two weeks ago in Southborough, Massachusetts, when police say thieves crawled on the floor of Sperry’s Liquors and Market to take cigarettes and alcohol.

"They crawl because they try to avoid the motion detectors," Melhem said.

Melhem is warning fellow business owners in the area to make sure their motion detectors are in working order. Authorities said the suspects in the Pelham case had been crawling, but as soon as they stood up, they tripped the motion alarm which triggered a police response.

Anyone with information on the suspects in the Pelham case is urged to contact the police department's criminal bureau at 603-635-2411.

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