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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday July 27, 2007 - 11 Truck used in computer shop smash-and-grab By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The metal bars put in place to keep an Oakville computer store secure after closing time, proved no barrier to thieves who used a truck to smash through the storefront early Wednesday morning. Ken Devreese, owner of the Computer Edge in Trafalgar Ridge Mall, was awakened at about 1:30 a.m. by a call from the alarm company and almost immediately realized it was no false alarm. "We've been here nine years and we've never had a break in. We get maybe two or three false alarms a year where they say maybe the air conditioner comes on, blows something and the motion sensor goes off," he said. "This time they said the front door and the motion sensor went off and as soon as I heard that I thought, `awww... great.'" Living only a few blocks away, Devreese arrived on the scene within five minutes. It was only then that he learned the scale of the break in and level of damage. "It looked like a bomb went off in the front, it was incredible," said Devreese. "The whole front of the store was pushed in about six feet." So great was the velocity with which the vehicle hit the store that broken glass from the store window was knocked nearly 20 feet inside. The metal gates were twisted and crumpled like tissue paper. As if destroying his storefront was not enough, Devreese says the quantity of PHOTO COURTESY KEN DEVREESE SMASHED: The front window of the computer shop that was broken into. computer equipment the thieves made off with was also substantial. "They came in and stole about $12,000 worth of product including four customers' laptops," he said. "There is data on them so one guy was kind of upset." Within minutes of the break in, police were also on the scene, collecting evidence and beginning an investigation. Halton Detective Sergeant Greg Sullivan says this type of crime is not uncommon with the possible perpetrators ranging from amateurs to specialists. "It could be some crack addict who took advantage of an opportu- nity to make off with some merchandise," he said. "But we do have more sophisticated groups that commit these break ins to steal very specific equipment. We won't know what category these guys fall into until we examine the list of what was stolen." Identifying the thieves may also be sped up through an examination of what they left behind. "The rear window and the tail light of the truck were on the floor here," said Devreese. "So they damaged the truck when they backed it into here." Devreese says police are checking the footage from surveillance cameras and were able to lift fingerprints off items the thieves riffled through. In the meantime it's business as usual. After Devreese spent the remainder of the evening cleaning up his store, Computer Edge resumed normal business hours, despite the fact the storefront is now boarded up and its owner had snatched only one hour of sleep. While insurance is coming to Ken Devreese the rescue, Devreese says he can't wait for it. "I can't afford to lose any more business than I'm going to already with all the stuff that was stolen," he said. This is not the first time businesses in the neighbourhood have experienced a break in according to Devreese who believes a nearby variety store has been broken into numerous times. The Computer Edge is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. DON'T BURN SAVE MONEY AND HELP THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN YOUR REPLACEMENT CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM IS ENERGY STAR - QUALIFIED. ® 30th Anniversary Sale SAVINGS UP TO 50% OFF Take advantage of this one time opportunity to save on solid wood bedroom and dining room, custom upholstery & leather. IN STOCK NOW MONEY TO STAY COOL We should all be consuming less energy and doing our part for the environment. By replacing your old AC with one that is ENERGY STARqualified you`ll be helping the environment and you save up to 40% on your electricity bill. This is on top of the $800 you can qualify for in rebates. Visit www.coolsavingsrebate.com or call 1-877-797-9473 to find a participating contractor in your area. OLD WORLD FLAIR WITH TODAY'S FUNCTION $ 2999 $ 1799 KING SIZE Authentic reclaimed solid wood dining table & 6 genuine leather chairs $ 1899 $ 100% Canadian made solid wood King bed complete MANY OTHERS TO CHOOSE FROM $ 899 IN STOCK SPECIAL 3999 NOW $ Genuine All Leather Sofa/Loveseat 1999 2 pieces Since 1977 OM Heritage Furniture 4205 Fairview St. Burlington · 905-634-5298 * Rebates are available until September 30, 2007. Must be purchased from and installed by a participating, registered Contractor. Rebate claims must be postmarked no later than November 1, 2007. Rebates are available through the Ontario Power Authority. OPA logo, Every Kilowatt Counts, Cool Savings Rebate, and Ontario Power Authority are each official marks of the Ontario Power Authority.