Cash, Computers Stolen During Happy Tart Break-in

A laptop, iPad and several hundred dollars were stolen from the Happy Tart bakery on Mount Vernon Avenue during a break-in that occurred around 9 p.m. Monday, according to owner Emma Cech. 

“I was at home playing Settlers of Catan, and I was winning, which is rare, when the phone rang,” Cech said. “It was the alarm company.”

The alarm had gone off at the store and the company called Cech to ask if the police needed to be notified. The gluten-free patisserie is closed on Mondays, and Cech advised the alarm company to contact the police.

The police arrived at the bakery located at 2307a Mount Vernon Ave. within 8 to 10 minutes, according to Cech. She also drove over to the scene and waited in her car until the scene was cleared.

The police checked the scene with a dog and did not find any suspects. The police later informed Cech that the building was entered through a rear window and a different window was used as an exit. More than $300 in cash was stolen, along with a laptop belonging to Cech’s son and an iPad that the store uses to complete transactions.

“It’s just kind of a bummer,” Cech said, adding that the police did not receive any reports of suspicious activity.

Monday marked the bakery’s one-year anniversary. Cech and her staff celebrated the occasion on Saturday with a day of giveaways.

The Alexandria Police Department did not immediately have information about the incident on Tuesday afternoon. Patch will pass on more information as it is made available.

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