By Taylor MacPherson

After bungled break-in, burglars bear-spray business

Sep 27, 2017 | 8:00 AM

The owner of a Central Ave. business said he lost thousands of dollars in inventory over the weekend when some frustrated would-be burglars decided to spray bear mace into his store.

Tyler Hlewka, owner and operator of local smoking emporium Far Out, said he received a phone call from the employee who was scheduled to open the store Friday morning, telling him the back end of the shop was vandalized during an attempted theft. The thieves attempted to break into the store through the rear entrance, Hlewka said, but the door was fortified and they were unable to get inside.

“They busted off the doorknobs and when they couldn’t gain access into my location they decided to shoot the entire back end of my store with pepper spray,” he said. “They sprayed it down with bear mace completely.”

Hlewka said he had to throw out furniture kept in the back of the store, and a large amount of inventory contaminated by the chemical irritant. Although he has still not tallied his losses, Hlewka estimates the incident cost him more than $4,000.

The store had to be closed Monday, Hlewka said, as cleaners were brought in to ventilate the entire store and clean up the remnants of the bear spray. The shop reopened Tuesday, he said.

Mail

Canada Post reports $315M Q3 loss, compared with $290M loss a year earlier

7h ago

Milestone anniversaries

Parkland Ambulance turns 50

Nov 21, 2024

Court proceedings

Woman involved in death of Saskatoon mother, handed 18 year prison sentence

Nov 21, 2024

The owner reported the incident to police, but said they were left with very little evidence to work with and he is not anticipating anyone will be charged. Hlewka said he knows his shop is a tempting target for thieves, and noted he was the victim of burglaries at his shop’s previous location.

“It’s business as usual,” Hlewka said. “It comes with the territory.”

Prince Albert Police said they are investigating the incident as an attempted break-and-enter, but no arrests have been made.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews