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Storeowner shaken by brazen daytime theft

A weekend robbery has left one Okotoks storeowner stunned and erring on the side of caution. A male suspect stole a deposit bag containing nearly $3,000 from Dit ‘n Dat during the store’s business hours on June 10.

A weekend robbery has left one Okotoks storeowner stunned and erring on the side of caution.

A male suspect stole a deposit bag containing nearly $3,000 from Dit ‘n Dat during the store’s business hours on June 10.

“Somebody waited until we opened the door to the warehouse, sneaked in through the warehouse to the office and stole the cash that was ready to be deposited,” said Reinier Lanting, owner of Dit ‘n Dat.

He said the suspect came in as a customer and waited for the opportunity to slip into the back. Lanting was moving boxes from the warehouse to the front of the store, and didn’t close the door completely behind him.

“He waited until he saw me coming out of the warehouse with a box, snuck in right away when I left, and went to the office behind the warehouse,” said Lanting. “He didn’t know the deposit was there, but he snuck in and hit the jackpot there.”

Normally the cash is all locked away in a safe, but Lanting had prepared his deposit and was heading for the bank after he finished with the boxes, about half an hour later. He walked into the office and noticed the cash was missing.

He checked the security cameras immediately and saw the suspect enter the office and take the cash. Lanting called the police immediately.

Const. Erin Penner responded to the call and was able to pull a high quality image of the suspect from the security camera footage. It has not produced any leads yet, she said.

“If he’s not known to anybody, we can’t really identify him,” said Penner. “I did ask a few businesses directly in the area of Dit ‘n Dat and they didn’t recognize the gentleman either.”

She said the image has not been released to the public.

Lanting said the money is insured, but he feels violated, and shocked that someone would have the nerve to steal from the store during its business hours. He said he was a little shaken, knowing he had been so close to the man at the time of the theft.

“I came back to the warehouse twice, where I was, according to the camera system, only a few metres away,” said Lanting. “If I had decided to, instead of bring another box, go to my office, then I would have stood there eye-to-eye with him and I don’t know what would have happened.”

He said it’s a warning to all business owners to be aware at all times, and be cautious in handling their cash and merchandise.

During his 11 years in business, Lanting said there have been other small crimes like vandalism or shoplifting, but nothing as bold and shocking as having someone steal money from his office.

“It’s quite disturbing to see a guy just sneaking in, moving a little bit and looking around before going in, almost like a movie,” said Lanting. “I try not to live a paranoid life, but it’s hard when stuff like this happens.”

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