SPORTS. AWESOME IS RIGHT CHARLIE. THANKS. A DRAMATIC BREAK IN AT A WESTWOOD STORE CAPTURED BY SECURITY CAMERAS. AND TONIGHT THAT BUSINESS OWNER IS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT THE IMPACT THIS HAS ON LOCAL MOM AND POP SHOPS. IT HAPPENED FRIDAY. THE BUSINESS LOCATED RIGHT THERE ON MONTCLAIR AND HARRISON AVENUE. NEWS FIVE’S DAISY KERSHAW JOINS US LIVE TONIGHT FROM CINCINNATI POLICE DISTRICT THREE WITH AN UPDATE ON THIS VERY FRUSTRATING SITUATION. HI, DAISY. HI, LINDSAY. JACQUELINE FRONDORF SAYS SHE’S THANKFUL HER SECURITY CAMERAS CAPTURED THIS BREAK-IN SO SHE COULD SHARE THE FOOTAGE WITH INVESTIGATORS HERE IN DISTRICT THREE. SHE SAYS THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND TIME ONE OF HER WESTWOOD BUSINESSES HAS BEEN TARGETED BY THIEVES. THIS LATEST INCIDENT HAPPENING AT HER SHOP, MONTCLAIR STREET, WHEN THIEVES TARGETED A SMALL BUSINESS. IT HURTS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY FINANCIALLY. BUT THEN THE HARDEST PART, I THINK, FOR ME IS WHEN PATRONS AND OTHER PEOPLE ACROSS THE CITY THINK THAT THAT IS THE WHAT THEY CAN EXPECT FROM THIS SIDE OF TOWN OR THIS AREA, WHICH IS NOT THE CASE WHATSOEVER. MONTCLAIR STREET OPENED ITS DOORS JUST LAST MONTH, FRIDAY MORNING, AROUND 530. BURGLARS SMASHED THEIR WAY INSIDE. OWNER JACQUELINE FRONDORF SAYS THEY TOOK OFF WITH THE CASH BOX. WE ARE MOM AND POP SHOPS. I HAVE FIVE CHILDREN. I MEAN, WE ARE AS MOM AND POP SHOP AS YOU CAN GET. JACQUELINE SAYS IT COULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED AT A WORSE TIME. THE HOLIDAYS ARE AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESSES LIKE HERS. WE LIKE TO HAVE A SELECTION OF WINES THAT ARE VERY REASONABLY PRICED. JACQUELINE OWNS TWO SHOPS HERE IN WESTWOOD. HER SHOP IS LOCATED RIGHT NEXT DOOR. WE HAVE A REALLY GREAT SELECTION OF EVERYDAY PLANTS. THIS BREAK IN THE SECOND SHE’S DEALT WITH. WE OPENED SEPTEMBER 2022. IN JANUARY OF 2023. SO ABOUT THREE FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED HERE. DIFFERENT STORE, SAME STORY. JACQUELINE SAYS SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE. TELLING US HER BUSINESS ISN’T THE ONLY ONE THAT’S BEEN TARGETED. TWO OTHER BUSINESSES IN WESTWOOD WERE BROKEN INTO WITHIN THE WEEK, SO FOUR TOTAL IN THE WEEK. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE REACH OUT FROM THE CITY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE POLICE CAN’T BE EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE. AND THAT’S DEFINITELY NOT. I’M NOT TRYING TO SAY THEY’RE NOT DOING A GREAT JOB BECAUSE THEY ARE, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR JUST THE BUSINESSES IN THE DISTRICT TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY’VE GOT OUR BACK. JACQUELINE SAYS SHE’S STILL WAITING TO HEAR FROM INVESTIGATORS. WE REACHED OUT TO CINCINNATI POLICE TONIGHT FOR AN UPDATE ON THIS BREAK-IN, AND FOR MORE ON THE REPORTS OF OTHERS NEARBY. WE’LL BRING YOU THAT RESPONSE AS SOON AS WE HAVE IT. REPORTING LIVE FRO
Westwood business owner speaks out after thief targets shop in smash and grab
Updated: 1:09 AM EST Dec 22, 2025
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Security cameras captured the moment that a thief broke into a Westwood small business.Shop owner Jaclyn Frondorf is speaking out about the frustrating situation, saying that this time of year is important for small businesses like hers as the holidays approach.Her store, Montclair Street, had just opened up in November.”We are mom-and-pop shops. I have five children. I mean, we are as mom-and-pop shop as you can get,” Frondorf said. At Friday morning at 5:30 a.m., a thief smashed through the shop’s glass to break in and steal the store’s cash box, a video which Frondorf shared to social media.She said it is the second time thieves have targeted one of her Westwood stores. Next door to Montclair Street is Frond, a plant store she opened in 2022.”January of 2023, so about three or four months later, the exact same thing happened here,” Frondorf said. It’s a different store, but for Frondorf, it’s the same story.”When thieves target a small business, it hurts, you know, obviously financially, but then the hardest part, I think, for me is when patrons and other people across the city think that that is what they can expect from this side of town or this area, which is not the case whatsoever,” she said.Frondorf said her store wasn’t the only one hit recently.”Two other businesses in Westwood were broken into within the week. I mean, so four total in the week. I would love to see a little bit more outreach from the city or law enforcement,” Frondorf said.She said something needs to change so businesses feel supported here.”I know the police can’t be everywhere all at once, and that’s definitely — I’m not trying to say they’re not doing a great job, because they are. But I think it would be great for just the businesses in the district to know that, you know, they’ve got our back,” Frondorf said. WLWT has reached out to Cincinnati police for additional information on the Westwood break-ins, but has not yet heard back.
Security cameras captured the moment that a thief broke into a Westwood small business.
Shop owner Jaclyn Frondorf is speaking out about the frustrating situation, saying that this time of year is important for small businesses like hers as the holidays approach.
Her store, Montclair Street, had just opened up in November.
“We are mom-and-pop shops. I have five children. I mean, we are as mom-and-pop shop as you can get,” Frondorf said.
At Friday morning at 5:30 a.m., a thief smashed through the shop’s glass to break in and steal the store’s cash box, a video which Frondorf shared to social media.
She said it is the second time thieves have targeted one of her Westwood stores.
Next door to Montclair Street is Frond, a plant store she opened in 2022.
“January of 2023, so about three or four months later, the exact same thing happened here,” Frondorf said.
It’s a different store, but for Frondorf, it’s the same story.
“When thieves target a small business, it hurts, you know, obviously financially, but then the hardest part, I think, for me is when patrons and other people across the city think that that is what they can expect from this side of town or this area, which is not the case whatsoever,” she said.
Frondorf said her store wasn’t the only one hit recently.
“Two other businesses in Westwood were broken into within the week. I mean, so four total in the week. I would love to see a little bit more outreach from the city or law enforcement,” Frondorf said.
She said something needs to change so businesses feel supported here.
“I know the police can’t be everywhere all at once, and that’s definitely — I’m not trying to say they’re not doing a great job, because they are. But I think it would be great for just the businesses in the district to know that, you know, they’ve got our back,” Frondorf said.
WLWT has reached out to Cincinnati police for additional information on the Westwood break-ins, but has not yet heard back.
