Opticians in Orange County are being targeted by smash-and-grab thieves.
The robbers have been caught on camera breaking into stores and stealing expensive designer frames.
Anaheim Hills optometrist Dr. Harry Charm lost $5000 worth of merchandise in three minutes when his business was hit, and he believes the culprits know exactly what they are looking for.
"They're looking for smash and grab, to fence what they sell (then) gone and they go from place to place," Dr Charm said.
However he said dealing with criminals is just part of doing the job he loves.
"So you… accept that there are bad people in the world, and you protect yourself as best you can and you have insurance and you take your lumps. What (else) are you going to do?" Dr Charm said.
However police say the losses have been so great that opticians are now finding it difficult to obtain coverage from insurers.
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Another Orange County eye doctor hit by thieves in October also suffered expensive losses.
Brazen robbers removed the door to Dr. William Mosier’s business in Fullerton, then made off with thousands of dollars’ worth of frames. He is now investing in beefing up his security on many levels.
"The economic loss, the invasion of your space and privacy. It's an insult," Dr. Mosier said, "It's somebody who doesn't want to work for a living so they turn to crime."
However law enforcement specialists are now focusing all of their efforts on framing a case, withdetectives across Orange County working together to catch the culprits.
"All of those crime analysts will get together and they will share information, and hopefully we’ll be able to develop a pattern and/or M.O. and then go about identifying who the suspect or suspects are," Lt. Bob Dunn of the Anaheim Police Department said.
