Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP is investigating an early-morning break-in caught on video at a downtown Vernon business.
Two masked, dark hoodie-wearing individuals can be seen in a video smashing the front glass door at Simply Delicious on 31st Avenue, and making their way into the facility.
“I got a call at 4:30 a.m. from the alarm company saying there had been a burglary,” said Simply Delicious’ Troy Roland. “They smashed the glass and proceeded toward the bitcoin machine.” (Bitcoin is a digital currency; offers the promise of lower transaction fees than traditional online payment mechanisms and is operated by a decentralized authority, unlike government-issued currencies -investopedia.com. A Bitcoin ATM, according to Wikipedia, is a kiosk that allows a person to purchase Bitcoin by using cash or debit card)
Roland said the thieves pried the machine open with pry bars and sledgehammers, and made off with with an undisclosed amount of money.
The above video shows three angles of the incident
The thieves smashed the window just before 4 a.m., and RCMP arrived on-scene at 4:16 a.m. The video also shows two cars, one grey, the other white, passing by the scene shortly after the robbery.
Roland said theft detection is prominent at the store.
“We have 16 security cameras and other theft detection equipment,” he said. “These guys entered a fortress when it comes to theft detection.”
Roland thinks the suspects knew what they were looking for as they were in and out of the building in less than five minutes.
Const. Jocelyn Noseworthy said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP at 250-545-7171 or to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Online tips can be sent to nokscrimestoppers.com.
@VernonNews
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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