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Brazen Thief Chats On Cell Phone While Robbing Thrift Store

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A small business owner in Miami-Dade is being forced to start all over.

Store owner Nilda Nascimento says this past June she was able to fulfill a dream she's had for 25 years of opening up a store that sells brand-name, gently used items.

It is just before 5 a.m. this past Friday when a woman is seen entering the Thrift Chic Store in Northeast Miami-Dade and grabbing everything from shoes to clothes to jewelry.

"I have Christian Dior, Chanel, Prada. I have Tommy. I have a lot of brands," said Nascimento.

Friday she says she was heartbroken when she came to the store, located on West Dixie Highway and Northeast 191st Street, and realized she'd been robbed.

She called police and checked her surveillance cameras.

She says to her surprise, the thief was calmly walking around talking on her cell phone as she grabbed everything she could.

"She came with the shopping cart," said Nascimento. "She filled, she pushed the cart close to the street.  She came back. When she came back, she grabbed more and more stuff."

Nilda says in total, the woman made off with $3,000 worth of items.

"She didn't just lose the items in her store but she lost items that belonged to other people that are on consignment so she has to take money from her pocket now and give it back to the people who had their items on consignment," said Nilda's daughter, Stephanie Menezes.

Nilda is asking for the public's help in finding the woman, and when she's caught, she says "I'd like to talk to her. I'd like to ask some questions. I'd like to know where my stuff is, if she sold it.  If she gave it to somebody."

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

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