“Gobsmacked” café staff in Wairarapa have arrived at the near demolished eatery this morning after a digger destroyed the front of the building while trying to rob an ATM machine.
Police said they were called at 11.40pm to a burglary of a commercial premises on Kitchener St.
“A digger was used to gain entry to the premises. Inquiries to locate the offender and determine the circumstances of the incident are ongoing.”
Pictures on social media showed another ATM, unscathed, next door to the smashed storefront of the Kitchener’s Café in Martinborough. An ATM on the front of the café appeared to be damaged.
The café Facebook account posted: “Last night, someone drove a front-end loader into our building for the ATM machine, seriously damaging the front of the building.”
“We will do our very best to keep you caffeinated and fed, but need to make assessments as to safety etc first.
“[We] will keep you posted team, love from the gobsmacked Kitchener’s crew.”
‘One out of the bag’ — building owner
Bruce Sullivan, who has owned the property for nearly three decades, said there was “significant damage” to the front of the building.
“Most of the front’s going to have to be demolished, and one of the side walls will have to be replaced, and obviously a new ATM machine.”
He said he had never been targeted like this and that it was “really one out of the bag”.
“Surprised was an understatement. I thought we were getting broken into, I didn’t realise they were smashing the building to pieces, but that’s what happens when you get a loader of that size.”
Sullivan’s daughters operated the café and he said it “could not have come at a worse time”.
“I feel sad for the girls because it’s downtime — two or three weeks of not making any money coming up to Christmas.”
Believed to be town’s first ram raid — Mayor
South Wairarapa Mayor Martin Connelly said the incident was “absolutely shocking” and “just awful”.
“It’s just happened to such a wonderful family in this town who do so much for everybody else, and isn’t it great to see everybody out helping them now?”
He said he believed it was the first ram raid to have occurred in the Wairarapa town.
“It’s the first time there has been this level of vandalism.”