Orange County police join investigation into smash-and-grab break-ins

Orange County police agencies were working together after a string of smash-and-grab break-ins hit businesses in Warwick, Florida and Goshen within about an hour, beginning with a 4:11 a.m. burglary at Wine Time Liquor Store on Route 94 North in Warwick.

Warwick Town Police, Town of Goshen Police and New York State Police were all involved, a sign investigators were comparing evidence across town lines to see whether the crimes shared the same vehicle, entry method or crew. The overlap matters for merchants because smash-and-grab cases can leave behind more damage than the cash or merchandise taken, with broken glass doors, windows and display cases quickly turning into repair bills, insurance claims and security upgrades.

At Wine Time, suspects smashed the front glass door, got inside briefly and stole money from the register before fleeing, according to the report. Wine Time owner Mark Chisholm later shared a photo on the business’s Facebook page showing the damage, giving a clear look at the kind of storefront destruction that can hit a small business long after the suspects are gone.

Town of Goshen Police Chief James Post said multiple businesses were hit overnight and a vehicle was also stolen during the spree. That added another layer to the investigation, since police were not just looking at burglaries but also at whether the same people may have used a stolen car to move from one location to the next.

The incidents were part of a broader overnight pattern that stretched across several commercial areas in Orange County, including Warwick and Goshen. Warwick police confirmed three incidents tied to the investigation, while the wider time span suggested a coordinated series rather than an isolated break-in. No suspects had been named and no arrests had been reported in the case.

The pattern also echoed an earlier Orange County case, when Monroe police investigated two smash-and-grab burglaries in December 2017. For business owners along Route 94 and other retail corridors, the current investigation is another reminder that a single overnight crime can ripple outward through cleanup costs, repairs and the pressure to harden storefronts before the next break-in.