The owners of a well-known Severn Township business are trying to pick up the pieces after a brazen break-in.
Hewitts Farm Market and Bakery was robbed early Saturday morning, and police are still searching for the suspect.
The alarm sounded just before 3 a.m., when somebody broke into the shipping door at the rear of the market.
Police and owner Trevor Hewitt arrived moments later, but it was already too late.
“I paused, I was shocked. I’m like wow the safe is gone, they took the entire safe with them,” says Hewitt.
The safe contained documents and cash, though the family won’t disclose exactly how much was stolen in the heist.
Information from the alarm company reveals the thief or thieves broke in and got away in less than three minutes. Hewitt wonders if they knew exactly where to look, “it was pretty quick. I don’t know if they just happened to know what they were looking for, or what.”
The loss is enough to strike a blow to this family business, in what has already been a challenging year for agriculture.
“It’s a tough year already, and ugh, are you kidding me? Not another thing, and it’s out of our control,” says Curtis Hewitt.
Police are still investigating, and they’re looking for any security camera footage there may be in the immediate area. The Hewitts say they’re also looking at beefing up their own security, “putting cameras in, maybe different censors and even changing procedures within the business itself.”
The Hewitts are also offering a reward to help catch the people responsible. Anyone with information is asked to contact the OPP’s Orillia detachment or Crime Stoppers.
