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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Someone used a crowbar to smash the front window of Center City Repairs early Tuesday, then proceeded to steal 10 to 12 cell phones worth a few thousand dollars, police say.</p><p>Shop owner Chris Piccolotti said the break-in occurred just after 2 a.m., and he was made aware of the burglary by city police after 5 a.m.</p><p>Piccolotti said a man could be seen on security video standing outside the electronics repair shop, peering into the window, then smashing the window with a crowbar and stealing the phones.</p><p>&#8220;It all happened in about 15 seconds,&#8221; Piccolotti said.</p><p>Total losses, between the window damage and phones, are estimated at $3,000.</p><p>Based on the security footage, the suspect was 6 feet tall and wearing a hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and had something covering his face. He was also carrying a backpack and was wearing basketball shoes, perhaps in the style of Air Jordans.</p><p>The suspect was also described as having a distinct, almost &#8220;penguin-like&#8221; walk, according to Piccolotti.</p><p>He said this was the first time the 34 S. Main St. store has been burglarized in the years it&#8217;s been open.</p><p>&#8220;But I love downtown, and I&#8217;m not going to leave,&#8221; Piccolotti said. &#8220;Hopefully, he gets caught. I don&#8217;t want one guy to ruin downtown&#8217;s image.&#8221;</p><p>Piccolotti said he needed to contact his insurance company to determine how to recoup his losses, but he might need to start a GoFundMe campaign to make repairs and upgrade his security.</p><p>Despite the burglary and glass cleanup, the store remained open.</p><p>&#8220;Challenge accepted,&#8221; said Piccolotti, who was determined to bounce back as quickly as possible.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Center City Repairs owner Chris Piccolotti is shown cleaning up glass Tuesday after someone smashed the South Main Street store&#8217;s front window with a crowbar, then stole thousands of dollars in cell phones. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/web1_TTL090617smash1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Center City Repairs owner Chris Piccolotti is shown cleaning up glass Tuesday after someone smashed the South Main Street store&#8217;s front window with a crowbar, then stole thousands of dollars in cell phones. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Patrick Kernan</p><p>pkernan@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6386 or on Twitter @PatKernan</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Early morning break-in at electronics repair shop in downtown WB