Collins Bay restaurant, flea market broken into: Kingston police

Two businesses, Bella’s Bistro and Collins Bay Flea Market, in Collins Bay were broken into early Monday morning, according to Kingston police.

Paul Mueller, who owns Bella Bistro on Bath Road, said he arrived at his restaurant on Monday morning to find their till missing.

Mueller says about $1,300 in cash was stolen from the restaurant, but no equipment was damaged or stolen. When Mueller looked over his security footage, he said he saw a man wearing a balaclava and dressed in a hoodie enter the store after 4 a.m. Monday morning.

“The man came in the back door here. Came right through the sliding doors,” Mueller told Global News. 

He said it’s possible that staff had forgotten to lock the back sliding door of the bistro the night before because the man was able to let himself in with ease. Mueller also noted that the man seemed to be aware of a particular alarm sensor, avoiding it when he entered the restaurant.

Mueller said another sensor closer to the bar area ended up sounding off when the man walked towards it.

Kingston police say they received calls at around 9 a.m. Monday morning from both the bistro and the flea market about potential break-ins, but had no other details to release as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Collins Bay Flea Market did not respond to a request for comment and is not open on Tuesdays.

Mueller said despite the break and enter and theft, Bella’s Bistro opened its doors Monday.

— With files from Kraig Krause.