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Irving police are investigating break-ins at two small businesses on MacArthur Boulveard. Surveillance videos from both incidents appear to show the same thief, in a unique hoodie, carrying out the crime. Small Businesses Left Reeling Local perspective: Both businesses are pretty shaken up saying the burglar got into their businesses in a matter of seconds. They told FOX 4 that they were already struggling to make ends meet. Two burglaries in the span of minutes at two separate businesses. Mahmoud Alkurdi, the owner of Shwarma World off MacArthur Boulevard, got a call from one of his employees that someone had broken into the restaurant. "They broke the door, and he got in and stole the cash," said Alkurdi. "He broke in the door in two seconds." Alkurdi says the burglar was a professional. Getting in and out of his business in less than three minutes and 50 seconds. Caught on Camera Dig deeper: TacoMex Las Colinas, the other business that was hit, shared videos with FOX 4 showing the burglar breaking through the door. The owner tells us that the burglar went to the back of the store before leaving through the front door again. Minutes later, the thief made their way to Shawarma World. Police Say It’s the Same Suspect What they're saying: Irving police say it was the same crook who got away with about $800 combined from both businesses. "This number is a big number for us. It’s not a small number for us.," said Alkurdi. The shawarma owner says the cash was stolen from the register and the broken front door has set him back. "Like the damage, it may look small, but for me, I have to work three, four days, five to cover the loss, plus the repairs. It adds up." According to the owner, business has already been slow and making ends meet has been a challenge. "I have people to pay. Like he’s looking for his paycheck. He’s not going to understand, like he understands we got robbed, but he also has to pay for his child," he said. Alkurdi did have a message for the person who broke into his business. "They’re going for a small business. We go day by day. It’s not fair." Investigation Ongoing What's next: Both break-ins happened just after midnight. It’s not clear if any other businesses have been hit by this suspect.
