Apparent crime spree in Welland captured on videos
An incoming city councillor and owner of a Welland café is asking if anyone recognizes someone captured on video stealing his father's truck.
Meanwhile another video has surfaced showing what appears to be the same truck used as a getaway vehicle in the truck theft, also used in a smash and grab at a pizzeria earlier the same night.
On Wednesday Lucas Spinosa, who owns Black Sheep Lounge at 64 Niagara St., posted an update on Facebook saying two men had broken into and stolen his father’s truck, which was parked behind the café, over the course of the night.
Spinosa said when his father went into the next-door bakery at 2 a.m. to begin baking, the truck — a black 2000 Chevrolet Silverado used mainly for snow clearing — was still in the lot behind the two Niagara Street businesses. When he left to make his deliveries at 5 a.m. the truck was gone. Initially he thought one of his two sons had borrowed it, reaching out to them first before realizing it had been stolen. Spinosa booted up the security cameras behind the café and discovered footage of the robbery, during which a silver pickup truck drops off one individual who quickly entered and stole the vehicle in just over 30 seconds at 3:47 a.m.
“They obviously looked like professionals,” said Spinosa.
Spinosa is asking people who recognize the man to message Spinosa, so he can hand the information over to the police and hopefully get the truck back.
“Our truck is still out there,” said Spinosa, who hopes the truck can be returned as insurance on the old work truck won't cover much.
Niagara Regional Police have confirmed the theft has been reported and is being investigated.
Anyone with information is asked to call 3 District at 905-6884111, ext. 3300.
Spinosa said the silver truck used by the thieves appears to be the same as the one which appeared in another security camera video being circulated by Nick Albano on Facebook after a 3:11 a.m. attempted robbery at Angelina’s Pizzeria Wednesday morning.
In that video two would-be thieves hop out of the truck after it backs up to the front of the King Street business. The pair break a window and attach a cord or chain to the pizzeria’s ATM. The truck driver attempts to pull away with the machine in tow, but the chain breaks and the criminals flee in the truck.