Man accused of breaking into Harmony coffee shop, stealing hundreds from donation jars
The Wunderbar Coffee and Crepes shop in the small, quiet town of Harmony was broken into last week.
The shop’s owner, Seth Murphy, shared surveillance video of a man eyeing up the place and then an hour later, hitting the business.
Murphy showed us the damage to both back doors. Another video shows the man inside the shop looking around with a flashlight.
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Murphy said he took off with some donation jars filled with $300 for local charities like Southwest Butler Food Cupboard and Butler County Humane Society.
“It’s disheartening because it’s part of our mission statement to really give back to the community and so for someone to come in to take donation money is really troubling,” said Seth Murphy, of Wunderbar Coffee and Crepes.
Zelienople police arrested Sean Richards of Harmony.
Police were able to identify him with help from the surveillance footage at the shop and in the area. Richards is no stranger to police.
”He has an extensive criminal history starting in early 2000s A lot of drug arrests and later in the 2010s, there are thefts and retail thefts,” said Bret Meyers with Zelienople police.
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Here’s what Richards allegedly told police when he was questioned.
”The first time when he was down here checking out the area, he admitted to seeing the jars with the money in it and later on in the interview, admit to breaking the glass of the business,” said Meyers.
Meanwhile, the community is rallying around the coffee shop.
”It’s such a tight-knit community they helped us out throughout COVID and we will get through it again. This is just a small road bump,” said Murphy.
Right now, Richards is in the Butler County prison and faces multiple charges including burglary.
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