String of thefts leaves local pickleball store owner out $30K

DENVER (KDVR) — Thieves have targeted a local chain of pickleball stores, and the shop owner has caught several incidents on camera.

Game-Set-Match, Inc. captured the alleged crooks on surveillance cameras as they took off with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise at three of their stores all within days.

The owner of the pickleball store, Adam Burbary, shared his story with FOX31 to warn others.

Burbary sells a hot commodity, paddles for pickleball. It’s a sport that has exploded in popularity over the last few years.

“It’s captured a whole group of people who maybe were on the sidelines,” said Burbary.

Pickleball racquets can range anywhere from $60 to $300, which is why a recent string of thefts at Burbary’s stores has left them out of at least $30,000.

On Feb. 12, surveillance video from his store in Centennial shows what appears to be a couple of women grabbing paddles and stashing them under their clothes.

“Their outfits hide equipment, paddles. You know, paddles aren’t that big,” said Burbary.

Two days later, Burbary said his store in Denver was also hit. During that theft, it appeared a man and a woman were working together to snatch the racquets.

Then, on Feb. 16 at Burbary’s store in Boulder, at least one woman can be clearly seen on camera placing paddles under her large scarf.

“We kind of finally put all the pieces together. It was an organized setup from the group,” Burbary said.

Burbary hopes other store owners can learn from what happened to his shops. He also has a message for the alleged crooks.

“I’d like to try to catch these people, but I also want them to know that we are not a target anymore,” said Burbary.

Burbary said he is working with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Denver and Boulder police departments in hopes of finding the thieves.