Isaias Soto
•6/26/2026
A San Carlos Park business owner is sharing security footage of an April burglary at Sky Food Mart, questioning whether it may be connected to other recent burglaries in the area.
Alessandro Hernandez, who owns an ice cream shop next to Sky Food Mart, said he was shocked to learn about the incident.
"The first initial reaction was I thought it was really crazy that someone would try to do that too, especially in a small community like San Carlos Park," Hernandez said.
Security cameras captured sparks flying as a burglar reportedly attempted to saw open an ATM on April 4. The store owner said they broke in by lifting the corner of a metal-lined door.
Photos show how the metal and insulation were cut, allowing the intruder to reportedly enter through a corner. Once inside, video footage shows the burglar reportedly behind the register, taking $6,000 and attempting to access arcade machines.
Rob Simon, a business owner across the street who has been visiting the mart since it opened, expressed concern about the proximity of the crime.
"I was shocked. You know, I don't know. I mean, there's a lot of bad people in the world. There are a lot of good people in the world. So, people get desperate and do stupid things," Simon said.
The store owner said they reportedly bypassed motion sensors, similar to what happened at San Carlos Supermercado two miles away earlier this month. An employee discovered the burglary the next day after noticing the damage and mess left behind the registers. The owner added that no alarms went off during the incident.
Hernandez said he sympathizes with the store owner, acknowledging the emotional toll of rebuilding after such an event.
"When you walk into your business that you made from the ground up, and you see that somebody try to break in and steal what you try to build, it really hurts you in a different way that most people don't understand," Hernandez said.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has not confirmed whether this burglary is connected to a recent arrest made at the Super America gas station on Alico Road.
