Trackdown: Help find Nevada store thieves

This week, police need your help tracking down a group of thieves hit the same small family business twice in two weeks.

Detectives are searching for a trio of trouble makers who robbed the Watkins Café and General Store in the Collin County town of Nevada.

Collin County deputies say the three thieves are white men likely from the area. They robbed Nevada’s only restaurant.

But twice in July just two weeks apart, Collin County sheriff's deputies believe the same three people broke into Watkins hungry for more than food.

“They broke the front door,” explained Lt. Nick Bristow. “All of them were wearing masks and had their hands covered and stole some merchandise out of the store itself.”

Surveillance video shows a glass shower as the front door shatters from the strike of the bat.

“One of them hid temporarily behind this ice machine, went up to the front door, kind of cased the building to make sure that no one was actually there,” Bristow said.

Police believe the three guys are between 18 and 20 years old. While they went into the store’s cooler and grabbed an armful of drinks, they dropped some of what they were stealing as they skirted out the same shattered door.

“We all know that’s gonna cost them a lot of money,” Bristow said. “They have to replace the inventory that was lost. They have to replace the damage to the door that was done.

“It’s kind of just coming out of our pockets so it’s hard,” said store owner Julie Watkins. “I think it’s really hard on a small business or even a big business, but it’s really hard on a small business.”

“We really need the public’s help in trying to identify the people involved in this offense and get them arrested as quickly as we can,” Bristow said.

Their masks were not very good, and they don’t appear adept at pulling capers.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Collin County Sheriff's Office at (972) 547-5371.