A Coquitlam sandwich shop owner is hoping a video of a what appears to be a young man stealing electronics and cash from his store in Coquitlam Centre mall will result in his arrest and possibly the return of $4,000 worth of goods.
Darrin Gutoski, who opened his Chachi’s sandwich franchise two years ago, said the early morning theft caught him by surprise when it was discovered by employees Monday and resulted in a delay to the shop opening to serve customers.
Among the items stolen was a safe containing cash, an iPad used as a point-of-sale and tablets used for Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats orders.
“He just jumped my counter and spent a half hour rummaging through everything,” said Gutoski. “I lost a half of my day in sales because we didn’t have a computer and till, so I had to get that replaced as quick as I could and that takes time.”
Coquitlam RCMP have confirmed the theft took place at approximately 7 a.m. Monday, March 2 and police are currently examining video evidence.
“It’s an active investigation,” Cpl. Michael McLaughlin told the Tri-City News.
The age of the individual is hard to determine from the video because they are wearing glasses, a baseball cap and a red hoodie under a black jacket, but if they are young enough to attend local high schools, it’s possible RCMP liaison officers may know the individual, he said.
The individual was also carrying a green back pack with purple straps; in the video, he can be seen rifling through shelves and drawers and stuffing the backpack with items, including tablets. He was there for about 35 minutes, according to the security video.
Gutoski, who told his story via Facebook and then spoke to The Tri-City News, said he hopes getting his message out will help him in some way.
“I’m just a small business owner in the community. I employ seven people and give them a livelihood, and it hurts, and I’m not sure how insurance will cover the cash. I’ll l have to go through that process.”
Coquitlam Centre says it is working with the RCMP on the file as they investigate the matter.
“Coquitlam Centre continues to operate with 24-hour onsite security. The mall is open beyond the standard operating hours to provide access to tenants and their staff,” the company responded in an email to The Tri-City News.
Although police are not at a point where they are asking the public for information, McLaughlin said anyone with special knowledge of the theft could call Coquitlam RCMP and quote file number 2020-5840.
