Break-in at Malvern, Pa. brewery caught on video; suspect sought

MALVERN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A brewery in Malvern, Pennsylvania was the target of an overnight break-in on Wednesday.

A man shattered a window of Locust Lane Craft Brewing around 2 a.m. and made his way inside where he went after the cash register and safe.

When owner Tom Arnold arrived that morning and saw the smashed window, a burglary was the last thing on his mind.

"Did a keg explode? What happened?" Arnold thought to himself, before walking inside and seeing the cash register torn apart.

Surveillance video showed a man with a mask and gloves breaking the window and jumping onto the counter.

He then used a crowbar to rip open the cash register and take out stacks of money. After that, he went to the back of the brewery where the beer is brewed and pried open a safe, but it was empty.

After 15 minutes the man left, leaving behind a trail of destruction and uncertainty.

It's been a difficult climate for breweries lately with competition and inflation, and Arnold said this is just one more hurdle.

"We're already treading water as it is, now it's just one more thing," said Arnold. "It just creates uncertainty when you don't need it."

But the brewery is able to stay open, and the owner is just glad the man didn't do anything to his equipment.

"If there is a silver lining in everything, that would be it. We can still operate," said Arnold.

East Whiteland are still working to identify the suspect.