Robbery caught on camera by NewsNation reporter

MIAMI (NewsNation Now) — NewsNation reporter Brian Entin witnessed a brazen daytime theft while covering the story for NewsNation’s “Holiday on Alert” series.

Entin went to a Miami-area Home Depot to purchase a new microwave Sunday when he heard a commotion and saw a man running out of the store holding an electric saw box. Entin followed him out into the parking lot, filming the confrontation.

“Did you just steal that? You just stole that?” Entin asked in the footage as he approached the man in question. “Were you just walking out with that?”

The man put the saw into the back of a pickup truck and ran away as a theft prevention officer came outside. You can watch the footage in the player above.

“It was so weird to be working on this story and then just have that happen over the weekend. But the good news is that the prevention officer was able to get that saw back,” Entin told Adrienne Bankert on “Morning in America.” “They say this is literally just happening basically all day long at some of these big box stores like the Home Depot.”

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I have been working on a series on smash and grabs/retail theft for the past couple of days. I went to Home Depot today to buy a new microwave and watched a guy run out with an electric saw and tools. I know it’s not smart — but I chased the guy with my cell phone camera.
— Brian Entin (@BrianEntin) December 13, 2021

The Home Depot employees told Entin that in most situations people are able to get away with the merchandise.

A poll that was commissioned by NewsNation and conducted by Decision Desk HQ found that 74% of those surveyed had heard about the recent smash-and-grab robberies at malls and retail stores. Of those who had heard of the robberies, 48% said they felt less safe shopping in person this holiday season.

“Holidays on Alert” is NewsNation’s weeklong series getting the facts around holiday crime concerns. You can view of all NewsNation’s coverage here.