A break-in at a Kensington Market bakery caught on security cameras is costing the small business thousands of dollars.
The incident happened Wednesday morning before 5 a.m. at the Little Pebbles Cafe on Baldwin Street.
The security footage shows a man appearing to use a tool to shatter the glass door of the cafe. He steps inside and proceeds to grab cash from the register while another man waits outside, but an employee walks in.
“I heard like a big bang on the door. Then I saw two people in masks and hoodies trying to scramble and take stuff from the cash register,” said VJ Babu, a baker at the café.
“They were more shocked than I was because they didn’t expect anyone to be here … I was thinking ok, if they don’t go out I’ll just throw things at them.”
The man flees the scene, taking a couple hundred dollars with him.
“We are here with the broken glass now and it’s kind of scary to be alone here by yourself working,” said barista Ashrusha Khatiwada.
Staff posted the incident on social media. It has so far garnered more than 200,000 views and hundreds of comments from businesses and community members expressing their support and sadness.
“I think I was shocked because I know the owners, I know the staff, I know the people here. I’ve known them for years. But I wasn’t surprised unfortunately,” a Little Pebbles customer told CityNews.
Many who live and work here say they feel the crime rate has risen in recent years. Within the last two months alone, there has been both a shooting and stabbing in the area.
“It does feel like it’s getting worse and more violent than it used to be,” he added.
The damage is expected to cost about $2,000 to replace the glass on the door, the owner tells CityNews, which is a significant amount of money for the business especially during what is typically a slow season.
No one was physically injured in the incident and police are investigating the break-and-enter. No suspects have been arrested at this point.
