Toronto police are searching for a pair of suspects after a series of break-ins at multiple west-end businesses on the morning of New Year’s Eve.
It is alleged the man and woman attended six different commercial premises on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, between 1:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., in the Queen Street West and Ossington Avenue area.
Police say the man used a rock to break the front door, targeting the cash tills once inside the premises, while the woman remained a lookout and used her backpack to conceal the stolen property.
Global News contacted several business owners in the area who shared their own recent experiences with break and enters.
Jonathan Larrad, the owner of Spanish Pig on Roncesvalles Avenue, was alerted by his store’s alarm company last week that someone had entered in the middle of the night. When he arrived several minutes later, he found the damage had been done.
“I looked on the video footage on my phone and saw that someone was coming in. I got dressed as quickly as possible. Thankfully I live down the road, so I ran as fast as possible. I got into the shop and by then, obviously, the burglar had left. Saw the damage, the police arrived a few minutes later,” said Larrad.
He noted police officers had visited the shop just days prior, advising him about a number of break-ins at area businesses.
“I was kind of aware of the situation, but you kind of think it’s not going to happen to you, but eventually, unfortunately, it does,” he added.
Larrad has had to close his shop to in-person shopping while he awaits a new point-of-sale system and replaces the broken door.
“When you go shopping, there’s a screen where you enter your details and then there’s a till. They just dragged it all and as they dragged it, they kind of ripped out everything on its way,” he said.
Larrad is now considering installing gates to his storefront to prevent future break-ins.
“I grew up in England and in Spain, and so in some of these cities where crime levels can be higher, especially in London, you get these businesses that have shutters. And in Toronto, I think up until relatively recently, that wasn’t really necessary,” he said.
“But now I think that’s changing quite dramatically and quite quickly and people are picking up on that.”
On the morning of New Year’s Eve, a baked goods shop at Dovercourt Road and Queen Street West posted online that it had been broken into.
Castle & Coal shared a photograph of a shattered front door, noting, “Well, this is how we’re celebrating our last day of 2024. Our staff called us this morning with the news. Luckily, it was just the tip box that was taken, and a broken door. No one was hurt! We don’t really have much to say, except that we feel violated especially since we see this as a safe space for everyone.”
Similarly, on Jan. 2, Mabel’s Bakery on Roncesvalles Avenue posted a photograph of a broken door and shattered glass, with the caption, “Things will look a little different at Roncy his week due to a little unwelcome New Year’s surprise.”
Store manager Jennifer Hall said nothing was taken but damage was done.
She showed Global News a large rock that was believed to have been used to break the window.
“They’re targeting people who can’t necessarily afford to absorb that loss. So it’s just really unfortunate, especially when we’re we spend so much time ingraining ourselves in the community and really consider ourselves to be a community service,” she said.
Anyone with information about the two suspects in the break-and-enter investigation on New Year’s Eve is asked to contact police at 416-808-1400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).