WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Jason Edward Sawicki has been arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on charges of burglary and grand theft following a smash-and-grab incident at a local business. The theft resulted in damages and losses totaling $20,477.
The incident occurred early on December 1, 2024, at Antigua Guatemala, located at 5815 S. Dixie Hwy. West Palm Beach Police responded to an alarm activation around 12:55 a.m. and found broken glass at the entrance. A large rock, believed to have been used to break the window, was discovered nearby.
Upon entering the business, police found that a 16×16 safe containing around $5,000 had been stolen, along with several rolls of lottery tickets, two envelopes with $500 each, medicine, tobacco products, and a TD Bank checkbook with pre-signed checks. The damage to the glass panel was estimated at $3,000.
Surveillance footage from the scene showed a man, later identified as Sawicki, wearing a black long-sleeve jacket, black pants, and dark shoes. The footage revealed him using a rock to break the glass, entering the business, and placing stolen items into a trash can. Sawicki exited through the back door and placed the stolen goods into an outside trash can.
Upon investigating, officers found a black trash can and a glove near the scene, with lottery tickets inside. Police collected the glove as evidence. The suspect, Sawicki, who lived just 0.3 miles from the crime scene, was identified by the business owner from the surveillance footage. A photo lineup confirmed the identification, and the victim identified Sawicki as the perpetrator.
The arrest affidavit revealed that Sawicki returned to the business multiple times, retrieving more items, including the safe, which he transported out using a mop bucket base with wheels.
Sawicki was arrested and charged with burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and grand theft. He is now in custody at the Palm Beach County Jail.
