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SALT LAKE CITY - Police are searching for a smash-and-grab burglar who stole close to $20,000 worth of rare items from a Salt Lake City antiques vendor over the weekend.
Police say the man used bolt cutters or a crow bar to smash in the glass at the Capital City Antique Mall near 10000 South and West Temple Saturday night. The burglar then raided display cases full of rare watches and Navajo jewelry.
Shop owner Monica Zoltanski is still reeling from the theft. "It just hits you in the gut, frankly," she said.
Salt Lake City police Det. Mike Hamideh says the rare nature of the stolen goods will make them harder to fence.
"A unique item is going to be a little bit easier to track," he said. "We do have a good relationship with several of the pawn businesses in Salt Lake City and also in the county."
Insurance will cover the damage to the glass, but Zoltanski says it will be impossible to replace the historic value. The burglar left behind blood, and luckily for police, some good security camera images.
Along with monitoring local pawn shops, police will be tracking online classified ads for the stolen goods.
