Mount Albert coffee shop burgled only days after opening
• April 16, 2024
A man smashed the front door of this Mount Albert coffee shop. Photo: Amani Sadique
A new Auckland cafe was broken into and burgled after only being open for 12 days in the Mount Albert township, shattering its owner and leaving others concerned.
But the support of the local community has helped to cheer up Lan Nguyen, owner of MaryLan Coffee Roasters on New North Road.
And thanks to neighbours who quickly reported the crime, police have also arrested and charged a 40-year-old man, after what they say was a "disappointing" incident which "brazenly targeted" local business.
Nguyen says the incident heavily impacted her emotional well-being.
“I feel depressed about it. I only just opened and I am worrying about finance and the future of the business.”
But she was pleasantly surprised when she noticed the community supporting her.
“It was the neighbours above the shop that phoned the police when the incident happened."
A community group post on Facebook encouraged locals to go and support Lan’s shop following the incident.
Lan says customers have said that they did not know the shop opened until they saw the post.
“This makes me feel happy, appreciated, and supported by the Mount Albert community.”
Meanwhile, staff four shops down at Mount Albert Dumpling House were shaken after the incident.
Worker Ting Huang says, “We are worried that it will happen to us, and that it will make the community feel unsafe.”
Auckland City District Police said in a Facebook post that it responded to reports of a burglary at 1.30 am on April 4 and after reviewing CCTV footage, a man was soon found walking a few streets away, where he was taken into custody.
The 40-year-old was charged with burglary and was due to appear in the Auckland District Court the same day.
Soon after, police responded to reports of a woman attempting to gain access to a shopping complex on St Lukes Road, with a 37-year-old woman arrested and charged with burglary.
“It is disappointing to see a local business and one of our shopping complexes being so brazenly targeted, but we know these arrests will bring reassurance to those who live and work in the area,” said the post.
This incident follows the burglary only two months ago of Mount Albert HomeCooked Family Bistro.
Two Police officers were sighted walking through the township on Sunday morning.
