MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- The owner and employees of a Merced golf shop are hoping for a better year -- after being hit by a burglar five times in 2015, including three times in December.
"It's been a very devastating December for us, definitely," said Golf Depot employee Sandra Hayes.
Golf Depot is a family-run business that has seen many of their clubs fly off the shelves since June, because they're being stolen. "It's a tough loss when you're losing 25 to 30 clubs at a time," said Hayes. "Especially during the season when Christmas is our selling season."
Hayes thinks they're out at least $50,000 in merchandise. Surveillance video from before the store opened on December 20th shows a man in a dark-colored hoodie wearing white gloves throw a rock through the front door. He walks through the broken glass, and seconds later, exits with his hands full of clubs.
Around the same time on Christmas Eve, the shop was hit again. Each time, Hayes says the thief has used a large rock to break in. And every time, the thief has gone directly for expensive Callaway or TaylorMade clubs, leading Hayes to believe it's the same person, who knows what they're looking for.
"It's a little violating, it is," she said. "You feel a little violated because you know he's been in here at least once."
Merced Police are investigating, the shop has alarms, and their camera finally gave Golf Depot a look at a suspect. But Hayes fears it will happen again. And only hopes that if it does, someone will see something, or slow the thief down.