Smash and grab pizza parlor bandit sought

HATFIELD, Pa. - July 6, 2011

On the night of June 26th, at 11:53 p.m., the manager of Pat's Pizzeria at 1100 North Broad Street received a call from the alarm company about a break-in.

Hatfield police arrived a few minutes later and discovered the front door glass had been smashed out.

Surveillance cameras captured grainy video of the actual break-in.

"They broke through the two front doors, the glass doors, with a crowbar, they entered, they jumped over the counter," Pat's Pizzeria manager Valentina Triantafyloou said.

For police, the lucky break would come a few seconds later when the burglar broke into the office.

"Worked out for us because he turned on the light in the office area, not knowing there was a camera in there; it lit him up very well," Hatfield Township Police Detective Sergeant John Ciarlello said.

It was the break police in Bucks and Montgomery counties had been looking for.

In over a month, they believe the man is responsible for over 20 smash and grab burglaries at pizza parlors including one at Vinny's Pizzarama in Hatfield on the night of June 27th.

"Entering the businesses and taking either cash registers, or if he can into the drawers, he's taking the content of the drawers," Ciarlello said.

The suspect is described as a white male wearing a black ski mask with what appears to be glasses, a maroon hooded sweatshirt with a distinct logo in the left chest area that may read A&A or something similar.

"If anybody recognizes the business that logo may be, we ask again that they call the Hatfield Township police," Ciarlello said.

As for the manager of Pat's Pizzeria, she's just hoping this guy finally gets caught.

"It's a scary thought and we don't want it to happen to anyone else so hopefully, the footage could help," Triantafyloou said.

Police are asking pizza shop operators to try to leave lights on at night.

Anyone with information should call Hatfield Township police at 215-855-0903.

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