Crooks smash Kia into Colorado Springs pawn shop, causing $30,000 in damage

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Crooks in a Kia smashed into a pawn shop early Monday morning, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the building.

Police say that when they pulled up to First Cash Pawn off Chelton and South Academy at 3:30 a.m., the Kia was lodged in the side windows of the store. The suspects were long gone.

Employees tell 11 News that while some merchandise was stolen, no guns or anything considered valuable was taken. The true monetary hit was the building itself: the suspects left the business with $30,000 in damage to the store.

Criminals in Colorado Springs have been on a months-long spree of similar crimes, with nearly three dozen businesses across the city targeted in 2024. While Springs police have not said if all of the cases are connected, there have been similarities: most have involved a stolen vehicle, generally a Kia or Hyundai; outside of a few outliers, the businesses have typically been a gun store, a vape store, or a pawn shop; and they have usually occurred in the early morning hours. The crimes seemed to escalate starting in May.

Anyone with information on this or any of the other smash-and-grabs plaguing the city should contact the Colorado Springs Police Department at 719-444-7000 or Crime Stoppers at 719-634-STOP. Crime Stoppers tips can be made anonymously.

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