For the second time in just over two weeks someone has used a vehicle to break into a Dartmouth store.
The attempted smash and grab happened early this morning at the Pawn Shop after a stolen jeep was rammed through the front of the building.
“It was a small SUV jeep,” says Const. Pierre Bourdages. “It was stolen earlier in Lower Sackville, earlier in the night, so we do believe it was driven through the front of that store around 2:30 a.m.”
Police were on scene within minutes after the shop’s alarm went off, but by the time they got there, the wannabe store thief, or thieves had already gotten away.
“As of right now, we have no reports of items being stolen from the business,” explains Bourdages. “But the owner was still going through inventory this morning to ensure that nothing was stolen.”
It appears the shop’s cash register was the main target.
The store was closed for repairs today; the damage is expected to be in the thousands of dollars.
“I was shocked, obviously shocked” says Mary Martin, who runs a winemaking store next to the Pawn Shop.
“It’s ridiculous, it’s just absolutely ridiculous for anybody to have to go through that, running a business now-a-days,” says Martin. “It’s just not right.”
It’s the second time in just over two weeks a Dartmouth business has been targeted.
Someone made off with thousands of dollars worth of remote controlled cars from another store, and so far police say there haven’t been any arrests made.
At this point, police say there’s nothing to suggest the two incidents are related.
Martin’s not concerned about a similar smash and grab attempt at her store, but the incident does have her thinking about her store’s security.
“It just makes you diligent and pay attention and make sure your alarms are set and your windows are closed when you leave,” says Martin.
The jeep was recovered on a nearby street shortly after the robbery. Police say they have no suspects.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Garreth MacDonald
