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Burglar Cuts Through La Gondola's Roof, Swipes Laptop and Cash

By Erica Demarest | August 27, 2014 8:13am
La Gondola Burglary
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Andrew McGuire

LAKEVIEW — An ambitious burglar spent nearly two hours cutting a hole in La Gondola's roof early Monday — to eventually walk away with $800 and a laptop.

"He didn't look like he knew where he was going once he was inside" the restaurant, said owner Andrew McGuire, who watched the stunt on surveillance video.

"He was running around trying to look for whatever, anything of value. He went into both bathrooms, not knowing they were bathrooms."

McGuire said he was called to his Lakeview restaurant at 2914 N. Ashland Ave. midday Monday. Employees setting up for the day found a hole in the kitchen roof and rainwater on the floor.

A laptop and small cash box were missing.

 The burglar spent nearly two hours cutting a hole in the roof at 2914 N. Ashland Ave., video shows.
La Gondola Burglary
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When McGuire pulled surveillance videos that afternoon, he found footage of a man methodically cutting his way through the roof between 2:30 and 4:30 a.m. Monday.

"He was at it for an hour and 40 minutes, believe it or not," McGuire said. "He went back and forth with different tools. Because it's such an isolated area, he could take his time."

In the video, the man creates a ladder outside the building using a stool and boxes. He cuts a hole in the roof and through a metal ceiling, McGuire said, before kicking out a drop ceiling and entering the kitchen.

He then climbed down several shelves and onto a prep table.

"He was in pretty good shape," McGuire mused. "It's a lot of effort to do this. He wore a backpack and gloves."

Once inside, the man spent about five minutes searching the kitchen and adjacent business office before leaving. McGuire said he took a 16-inch laptop and small cash box with about $800 inside.

Police on Tuesday said they couldn't confirm what was stolen, but they did have records of a forcible-entry burglary at the restaurant. Officers said they'd send evidence technicians to the scene.

McGuire said the burglar never set off security alarms Monday because La Gondola's alarm system is connected to the restaurant's front and back doors. There's a motion detector in the dining room, but the burglar never left the kitchen.

The man may have slipped up, though, McGuire said.

In the surveillance video, the burglar appears to take his gloves off for a few minutes while working on the roof. He briefly touches a chair, which McGuire said he covered in plastic and stored in his office until police could dust for prints.

McGuire estimated the man caused thousands of dollars of damage to the roof, which recently was replaced.

"Nobody's hurt, and it could've been a lot worse," McGuire said. "But the roof's going to be expensive."

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