By Adam Brazeau
CORNWALL, Ontario – Burglars walked away with a safe, cash and even a wheelbarrow after forcing their way through the roof of City Limits Bar & Grill earlier this week.
Provincial police say the heist happened between late Monday night and early Tuesday morning at the South Stormont establishment on Cornwall Centre Road.
Staff member Joanne Saucier walked Seaway News through the crime scene in an exclusive interview Friday.
“We’re all shocked,” said Saucier. “I’d like to know who did it. According to the cops, there were up to five or six involved.”
It all started with an early morning phone call from the breakfast cook who informed her that the kitchen’s ceiling was heavily damaged.
Initially, Saucier chalked it up to an unusual mishap, until she checked the bathrooms. The men’s had a large hole, but even worse was the one in the women’s stalls.
“That’s when I realized this was very serious,” she said.
The crew of thieves gained entry through the ladies’ bathroom after scaling massive steel bins behind the restaurant and forcing their way through the roof. Fingerprints and footprints were still scattered across the scene.
In addition to all the damage, their metal safe and an undisclosed amount of money was stolen.
Bill Wong, project manager for City Limits, dismissed any notions of an “inside job” since the robbers entered from a part of the rooftop located directly beside a trap door.
The robbery has left Saucier shaken and afraid to do her job for the first time since she started four years ago.
“I really hope they don’t come back, but a lot of times they do,” she said.
City Limits and the SD&G OPP are asking for the public’s assistance in finding the people responsible.
“It would be a huge plus if anyone could help identify them,” added Saucier.
If you have any information, contact the SD&G OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
