'I was really, really scared': Calgary kabab restaurant out thousands of dollars after break-and-enter
A restaurant in Calgary's Hillhurst neighbourhood is out thousands of dollars after it was broken into over the weekend.
Kamilla Hosseini's father owns Royal Kabab Express and called her after discovering the safe was missing Saturday morning.
"I was really, really scared that my dad was in danger," she said.
"He works really hard and a lot of the money we lost, it takes years to build back up."
It's all the more brazen because it happened at 6 a.m. while the sun was out.
Security camera footage shows the thief entering through the back door, then coming out a short time later with a stuffed garbage bag in hand.
Hosseini says nothing else in the store was out of place, so she believes the suspect knew where the safe was.
It was stored on a shelf in the kitchen and was covered by a cloth.
"What we're thinking is maybe someone we let use the bathroom kind of noticed that it was there … He was really planned out about it and he didn't go through the cash register or anything. He just took the safe and left," she said.
Security camera footage shows the thief entering through the back door, then coming out a short time later with a stuffed garbage bag in hand.
Hosseini's father moved to Calgary from Iran and is the main employee.
"That's just what really bothered me, I guess, that people took advantage of him because he's always providing to everybody," Hosseini said.
The safe contained $9,000 in cash and multiple debit and credit cards.
"A lot of tips, just a lot of savings over the last 12 years," Hosseini said, noting her father was going to use the money to pay off bills and put toward her university education.
Hosseini says police have been tracking the credit card purchases and she's hopeful they'll get some of the money back through insurance.
Spirits of Kensington next door was also broken into early one morning in January.
Bill Saroya, the owner, says the suspects smashed the shutters on his front window with a large rock and stole a few cans of beer and vodka products but police caught them in the act.
He says the repairs cost $1,500.
"There is very expensive stuff in Calgary right now and all over the world," he said.
Saroya says this latest incident has left him on edge.
"This is getting nervousness, every time we leave the store. Fridays, Saturdays, it's open until 2 a.m.," he said.
"It's very, very frustrating that something gonna happen to the store again."
However, police statistics show commercial break-and-enters in the Hillhurst neighbourhood began trending downward during COVID-19.
From 2018 to 2020, the numbers were in the low to high 80s, then dropped to 43 in 2021 and rose to 73 in 2022.
Police statistics show commercial break-and-enters in the Hillhurst neighbourhood began trending downward during COVID-19.
There have been 15 commercial break-and-enters between January and April of this year.
Still, Hosseini says she and her father will be taking extra safety precautions now.
"It's not the fault of the people robbing. I just genuinely think they need mental help. But honestly, it's really, really hard on all of us," she said.
Police urge businesses to ensure all doors are locked and the alarm is set when the last employee leaves.
They also recommend businesses use clear film glass reinforcement products, bars or shutters for windows and doors, install good quality security cameras, take photos of all valuables and use air tags or GPS trackers for valuables and safes.
Kamilla Hosseini says she and her father will be taking extra safety precautions now.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they're now named Scouting America
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.