A St. Paul sportswear store was burglarized early Tuesday when someone smashed through a wall and snagged thousands of dollars in merchandise.

At least one burglar, and possibly more, smashed a hole through an exterior brick and block wall at the Sports Dome and took off with at least $50,000 worth of clothes and other items, including leather jackets and jeans, St. Paul police said Wednesday.

Police are asking for the public's help to catch the thief or thieves.

Police responded to an alarm about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday at the store, located at 1505 University Av. W. But when officers arrived, they found the building and doors to be secured, said Sgt. Paul Paulos, spokesman for the St. Paul police. Hours later, the owner reported the burglary to police. It's believed that the heist happened between 5:30 a.m. and 10:20 a.m.

Anyone with information about the case should call the police at 651-266-5574.

The above photo is courtesy of the St. Paul Police Department.