Angry restaurant owner releases CCTV video to help catch late night burglar

A SMALL business owner, frustrated at having his restaurant broken into numerous times, has released security camera images of the man who burgled his premises.

An image captured on a security camera of a man who broke into the Pound of Pizza restaurant at Killarney Heights after using a crowbar to force open its front door.

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A SMALL business owner, frustrated at having his restaurant broken into numerous times, has released security camera images of the man who burgled his premises.

Jacob Wehtje managed to capture the early morning break-and-enter on video after installing a CCTV camera in Pound of Pizza at Killarney Heights.

Mr Wehtje, who has run the business for 15 years, said he made the images public to “stand up for small business” which are often the target of these type of thieves.

This image shows the masked thief looking at the CCTV camera in Pound of Pizza as her searches for items to steal.

About 1am on Monday the thief used a small crowbar to jemmy open the front door of the restaurant in a small shopping centre in Tramore Pl.

Northern Beaches Police said the man had, just moments earlier, unsuccessfully tried to break into the nearby Le Parisien Patisserie and the House of Fruit & Salads greengrocers.

The burglar, wearing a dark hooded jacket, a white mask over the lower part of his face and a pair of gloves, wandered around inside the restaurant after prising open its front door.

Jacob Wehtje at Pound of Pizza in Killarney Heights. Picture: Facebook

He checked the till before trying to steal an iPad attached to the restaurant’s counter.

Police said he did mange to steal a mobile phone before leaving the premises.

Mr Wehtje said his restaurant has now been broken into three times.

“Most small business owners, who have had to deal with a break-in or an attempted break in where not much has been stolen, will fix the door, brush themselves down and get on with things,” Mr Wehtje said.

The robber also tried to break into a neighbouring French bakery and a greengrocers on the same night he ho broke into the Pound of Pizza restaurant at Killarney Heights.

“The owners are frustrated, but they don't contact the police and the perpetrator gets away with another crime and then does it to somebody else.

“I want to expose this person. This is about standing up for small business.

“I’ve been contacted and congratulated by a number of other businesses for what I’ve done.”

Police said the thief was about 170cm tall and of medium build.