A clever crook made his way into a Bronx supermarket by cutting two gashes into the ceiling and made off with over $300,000 in cash, police sources said Friday.
The thief — who avoided being spotted on the security cameras by dropping in through the roof — broke into The Real Prospect Supermarket in Melrose at around 4 a.m. on Thursday and snuck into the owner’s offices, cops said.
When the owner opened up shop at around 5 a.m., he noticed his ceiling was caved in, the office was “in disarray,” and the stores’ safes damaged and compromised, police said.
The burglar made off with the cash from two safes — one with $75,000 and the other with $225,000 — and about 15 envelopes containing about $3,000, before fleeing, police and sources said.
Cops say the thief also pocketed three security camera systems.
It was business as usual inside the food store on Friday — aside from a pair of five-foot gashes in the ceiling.
It appeared as if the thief miscalculated with the first hole cut in the ceiling, which spotted about 15 feet above an aisle stocked with paper towels.
The second makeshift entrance was directly above the second-floor management office, where the burglar could have easily dropped down into the store during the heist.
The store’s only surveillance camera was pointed at the front door and captured none of the late-night activity.
One cashier, who asked not to be named, told The Post the heist seemed unreal.
“It’s scary. It’s like something out of a movie. Like a real-life movie,” she said,
Additional reporting by Olivia Bensimon