A Scarborough business has released security camera footage of a brazen break-in this week, in a bid to let the public know that $50,000 of goods have been stolen from the store.

The videos, posted to YouTube, show two thieves using a power saw to cut through parking lot chain locks, front door locks and security cables connecting power saws to store shelves at Alpine Lawn & Garden Equipment Inc. on Kennedy Road.

According to the time stamps on the videos, the break-in occurred after 1:00 a.m. on Monday. The thieves were inside the store less than five minutes.

The videos show the perpetrators moving around the store. The men stole two generators, two snow blowers, about six leaf blowers and trimmers and some power saws. All of the items have serial numbers.

"Unbelievable," Dominic Dimilta, manager and co-owner, said Tuesday. "I can't believe anything like this can happen."

Dimilta said the store posted the videos in hopes that members of the public can identify the thieves, but also to alert the public that the stolen goods might be put up for sale.

"If people are buying any of the stuff, or they are trying to sell some of this stuff, be aware, because we are going to have serial numbers and everything," he said.

In the videos, the thieves are seen backing a U-Haul truck into the parking lot, entering the store after cutting through locks and snatching and grabbing pieces of equipment off shelves.

Dimilta said the store has taken precautions, including installing double gates, chain locks and steel bars on the windows, but those measures didn't make a difference.

"I hope they catch the thieves so this doesn't happen again. How are we going to stop this? What are we going to do? Are we going to put cement blocks in front of the gates?"

It's the first break-in at the store in 15 years and the second in its 40-year history. Fifteen years ago, thieves stole $100,000 in equipment from its warehouse.

He said the U-Haul truck had the word "Minnesota" on the side and the store has reached out to U-Haul for help locating the vehicle.

He said the store is planning to give a copy of the videos and a list of serial numbers to the police on Tuesday. It appears one man involved is white, while the other is black. "They're fairly big guys," he said.

Police investigating

Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook spokesperson for Toronto Police Service, said officers from 42 Division are investigating a break-in at the address.

She said releasing video is not always the best policy when it comes to catching thieves.

"It's always best to go through the investigators. Even with us, we are cautious about when we release video and what we release," she said.

Douglas-Cook said she understands that the manager is frustrated and angry after the break-in, because the store has been vandalized, but it's best simply to hand over video to police.