No police progress in Kitchener ram-raid inquiry

Police are asking for more community help with their inquiries into the Kitcheners Cafe ram-raid of late November.

Detective constable Johnnie Low told The Star that investigators “continue to appeal for information about the ram raid.”

A stolen front-end loader was used by the raid perpetrator to slam into the Kitcheners frontage in a bid to snatch the ANZ Bank’s ATM machine housed in the front corner of the cafe.

CCTV footage showed the loader driven at speed into the front of the building, ripping apart the building’s corner but failing to dislodge the ATM machine _ which was knocked over by the force of the colliding loader bucket.   

Police later confirmed any cash in the machine would have been coloured by liquid dye inside the ATM following the collision, rendering it unusable.

The CCTV tape also showed the machine jammed atop a curbside steel bollard, before it was freed, parked nearby and the offender ran off through The Square on foot, carrying an empty rucksack.

Late night bar-goers at Jimmy’s witnessed the saga.

DC Low said that “since that time police have carried out numerous enquiries and spoken to a number of people.” 

A few hours after the raid police at the scene said they had “a pretty good idea” of who the culprit was. But a culprit has not been found in the 2 and a half months since.  

“Martinborough is a small place, and we’re confident someone will have information about this incident and the people involved,“ DC Low said.

“If you can help, please get in touch through our 105 service, quoting file number 241116/2640.”

Kitcheners Cafe was inundated with offers of community help and opened for business within three days of the raid. The corner of its front wall remains boarded up more than two months later.