The Lemon Tree
Mediterranean Grill at 356 Indian Boundary Road was burglarized on Thursday,
Oct. 29, in the latest of a rash of smash-and-grab jobs targeting businesses
along the Indian Boundary Road/South Calumet Road retail and professional
corridor.
According to
Chesterton Police, at 10 a.m. Friday an employee arrived for work at the
Lemon Tree to find “a lot of glass all over the dining room floor.” She then
noticed a broken window on the west side of the building and the cash drawer
missing from the register.
A review of footage
from the security camera showed this, police said:
At 9:55 p.m.
Thursday--approximately 50 minutes after the manager and an employee locked
up and left--“someone is seen peeking into the window
on the west side of the dining room,” police said.
The subject then
“take several quick looks inside before smashing the double-pane window,
jumping through the broken window, briefly steadying himself on a dining
room table, then jumping to the floor before briskly walking behind the food
prep/cash register area,” police said.
At 9:56 p.m. “the
suspect rips the cash drawer away” from the monitor of the point-of-sale
terminal, and at 9:57 p.m. “exits out the same broken window,” police said.
The cash drawer was
subsequently recovered by detectives in a wooded area just west of the Lemon
Tree, police said.
“The window was
most likely broken with a large piece of a tree branch,” police added.
The suspect is
described as a very thin male subject whose face was covered by a sweatshirt
and who was wearing gloves.
Police did not say
how much cash was in the register drawer nor estimate damage to the window.
The Lemon Tree Job
is only the most recent in a series of business burglaries going back at
least to July:
* Verizon Wireless,
705 Plaza Drive, smash-and-grab on July 1. Several phones stolen. No
estimate of loss or damage.
* Kathy’s
Antique Shop, 1599 St. Calumet Road, smash-and-grab on or before Aug. 12.
Approximately $350 in cash stolen.
* Duneland Dental
Group, 106 Indian Boundary Road, window pried open on or before Aug. 24.
* Spike & Buddy’s,
Di La Bella Salon, in the shared space at 320 S. Calumet Road, broken side
door on or before Sept. 14. Approximately $202 in cash stolen from Di La
Bella Salon.
* The Zale Eye
Center and the Brian McGue dentistry, across the street from each other in
the 700 block of South Calumet Road, both entered through broken windows on
or before Sept. 27.
CPD Det. Sgt. Chuck
Rinker told the Chesterton Tribune today that Chesterton businesses
aren’t the only ones currently being targeted. Something like 50
storefronts, restaurants, and offices have been burglarized in Porter County
over the last several months.
Anyone with
information about this or any of the other recent burglaries--or about the
burglar himself--is urged to contact WeTip and submit an anonymous tip. Call
(800) 782-7463 and be eligible for a reward.
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Posted 11/3/2015
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