Thieves break into cafe chain

By Sarah Schwager
POLICE are searching for witnesses after Gloria Jean’s Coffees in Pakenham was broken into and robbed last weekend.
Staff were dismayed when they found the front door had been smashed and cash had been stolen.
The alarm had been set off about 12.15am on Monday morning.
Pakenham police said the offenders had entered the shop by smashing a hole in the front door with a sledgehammer.
The store’s owner, Jamie McCracken, said it appeared the thieves knew what they were doing.
“The alarm was going the whole time. They were in and out in about 10 or 15 minutes,” Mr McCracken said.
He said they had left the sledgehammer behind.
“Obviously they were in a hurry,” he said.
Mr McCracken said they were already in the process of upgrading the shop’s security so it would not happen again. “It wasn’t pleasant, I can tell you,” he said.
The front door has since been repaired.
Police urged anyone around the area at that time or anyone who may have seen someone carrying a sledgehammer to contact police.
Gloria Jean’s is located on Flower Street in the Pakenham Place Shopping Centre.
Detective Sergeant Phil Jury, from Pakenham CIU, said: “Coles would have been closing at about that time. Surely there must have been someone around the shopping centre who saw something.”
Anyone with information should contact Pakenham CIU on 5941 1033 or CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.