WATCH: Masked thief busts through wall, ceiling to burglarize Monroe deli

MONROE, Wash. -- A desperate crook busted through walls trying to burglarize a popular Snohomish County deli.

The break-in happened early Friday morning at The Dashing Dutchman Deli in Monroe.

The owners said the crook caused at least $2,000 in damage and only made off with the employee tips. Now they need help catching him.

“You have no right being in my deli,” said Susan Whitfield, “This is my deli!”



It was almost business as usual when the Dutchman himself arrived, except for a hole busted in the bathroom wall. There’s also a hole in the ceiling, one look at the surveillance video shows why.

“They crawled over the ceiling and went through all my stuff,” said Dutchman.

“It’s a violation and it’s like, how dare you come in my deli," said Whitfield.

In the middle of the night, cameras caught a masked man slinking down into the kitchen through the ceiling. Then he skulks his way to the register looking for cash.

The register is empty but he found a few envelopes full of employee tips.

Dutchman said he would rather help someone down on his luck by offering them a job – but he said the crook went about it the wrong way.

“He kind of put his job application in through the roof and he kind of blew it,” he said.

After 10 minutes, the thief makes his way out the same way he came in, through the ceiling. But he dropped a dollar before making his escape.

Employees want someone to call police if they know the identity of the crook.

The Dutchman wonders if the thief had someone else keeping watch outside during the burglary.

Police are looking through nearby surveillance cameras for more clues.

Call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS if you have information on this case.