Butter tart bandit bites downtown Windsor business, with break and enters on the rise

The window’s been replaced and butter tarts are still in stock – but the recent break-in at La Vern’s still weighs heavy in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

Vern Myslichuk says his downtown Windsor grocery store, La Vern’s Market, has been broken into four times in the year-and-a-half it’s been open.

The latest break-in, happening shortly after 5 a.m. Tuesday, saw the thief get away with a surprisingly small haul.

“He literally took a container of butter tarts,” Myslichuk says.

In security camera footage uploaded to the business’ Facebook page, an unidentified person in a blue winter jacket can be seen tossing a heavy object at a pane of glass on the store’s side door before crawling inside.

Less than 15 seconds later, according to the video’s timestamp, he leaves with the baked goods in hand.

Security camera footage shows a man smashing his way into La Vern’s market before taking off with a tray of butter tarts. (FACEBOOK/ La Verns Market) “Typically it’s worse,” says Myslichuk.

He says staff contacted Windsor police and have filed a police report but so far no arrests have been made.

On-site cameras capture the thief returning to the store about 20 minutes after making off with the butter tarts — this time going upstairs into a staff only area of the store and approaching the office door before turning around and leaving once more.

After previous break-ins, staff tell CTV News the office door was reinforced, theorizing the suspect recognized that fact before leaving.

Making the best of this bad situation, La Vern’s offering something of a tongue-in-cheek promotion this weekend.

Free butter tarts from 2 to 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. No break-in necessary.

“Clearly we have fabulous butter tarts, it’s quite obvious,” says Myslichuk.

La Vern’s Market will offer free butter tarts to customers from 2-4 p.m. Saturday afternoon, pictured in Windsor, Ont. on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

Symptom of a larger problem

Despite handling the break-and-enter with good humour, he says the four break-ins at the market have been a great stressor for him – and he’s not the only business owner raising concerns

In his office a couple blocks away, Joe Mikhail says crimes such as vandalism and break and enters are happening at a higher frequency in the city than he’s ever seen.

According to Windsor Police Service’s incident dashboard,118 break and enters were reported across the city between Nov. 21 and Dec. 21.

The same period in 2021 saw 93.

Mikhail Holdings Limited owns about 2-million square feet of property in Windsor.

“And I can name property, after property, after property that we own that’s been significantly damaged,” he says.

60,000 of those square feet: the building that was once SilverCity Windsor Cinemas.

Joe Mikhail says thieves caused an estimated $300,000 worth of damage to steal roughly $300 worth of copper. (COURTESY: Joe Mikhail)

Mikhail has hopes to develop the large building into space for medical offices and retail, but says it’s been plagued by vandalism.

“It’s quite disturbing. We’re doing our best to try to save this facility,” he says.

Images taken inside the former theatre, provided to CTV News, show smashed in walls and destroyed fixtures – all in the name of stealing copper, Mikhail says.

He estimates there’s been $300,000 worth of damage caused in an effort to steal about $300 worth of material.

“You may look back and say, ‘well, these guys own property. They’re rich.’ But it’s a cycle that continues through every economic sector of our city,” Mikhail says.

He says he does not want to disparage police, who he says are always quick to respond when called for an active incident at one of their properties, but that there needs to be systemic change to address the issue – and the help the perpetrators.

“They catch them, they put them in jail, then they have to hire a lawyer. They have to pay for the lawyer and pay for assistance,” he says.

“To pay for it they have to go back and steal again.”

At La Vern’s, the broken window has already been replaced. And staff look forward to welcoming those who wish to try a butter tart Saturday — without smashing the window once more.