BERLIN, Conn — A Berlin bike shop is picking up the pieces after a break-in early Tuesday morning.
Craig Pedemonti, owner of Cutting Edge, said they had to replace multiple windows after two teens smashed them in.
“They came equipped with a crowbar and smashed a whole bunch of windows in an attempt to try to get in here and steal some bicycles,” Pedemonti said. “The alarm was going off. It was really complete pandemonium.”
The shop was left in disarray after Pedemonti said the teens tried to make off with three bikes.
“Two or three windows out front that were blown out. Both doors, the back office window. I mean, I’ve never seen anything like that. We’ve had break-ins before but usually one window or something small. Never anything of that magnitude,” Adam Vale Da Serra, manager at Cutting Edge, said.
Berlin police said two juveniles from Farmington were arrested. Officers were called to the scene after the alarm went off.
Some merchandise was damaged during the break-in, but the stolen property was recovered.
Pedemonti said staff and community members came by to help clean up the glass and put the bikes that were thrown off the racks back in place.
“One of my guys posted up a post on Instagram yesterday. Within a half-hour, I had friends, customers reaching out, people volunteering to help. I had one gentleman who just showed up with a shovel and a pail and was like, ‘what do you want me to do’ and he shoveled up all the glass in front of these windows,” he said.
He is thankful for the quick response from police and all support the shop has received.
Some community members even brought cookies to the shop.
“Kind of renews your faith, you know, in the fact that there is a lot of great people out there too,” Pedemonti.
Police said the two juveniles have been referred to juvenile court, but they couldn’t say much more about the case because of their young age.
Elisha Machado is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at emachado@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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