West Seattle shop owner hopes thieves get their 'just desserts' after stealing donuts during break-in

West Seattle coffee shop targeted by thieves

A West Seattle coffee shop was targeted on Tuesday by a group of thieves who made sure to steal a flat of pastries on the way out the door.

SEATTLE - A West Seattle coffee shop was targeted on Tuesday by a group of thieves who made sure to steal a flat of pastries on the way out the door. 

The coffee shop owner is now hoping they get their "just desserts." 

The trouble started brewing early in the morning at Hotwire Coffeehouse when a trio of burglars broke through the exterior gate and kicked in the doors to the shop. 

Owner Jeffrey Silva said two men and a woman were caught on camera, rushing in and out of his coffee and pastry shop off California Avenue in under a minute. 

"Seemed like pros. Not their first time," said Silva. "Seemed to know exactly what they were doing, went right for the safe." 

While he may have serious grounds for frustration, Silva is the type of guy that can find humor even in the face of adversity. He pointed out that during this burglary, the suspects weren't just interested in money, but also a different kind of "dough."  He says the third burglar did a double-take and decided to swipe something much sweeter than cash.  

"It was funny, if you watch the video, they roll out the safe and then the third person on the way out, kind of like….'Oh', and grabs two flats, I think. Donuts out the door," he said.  

Silva says vendors drop off products nightly and the pastries were likely too tempting to resist. 

"In flats wrapped in plastic, so easy to grab and go," he joked. "It makes sense. After a long night of theft, you need some food, some sustenance." 

Silva will be working on fixing his exterior gate and replacing his custom doors.  Repairs could cost upwards of $7,000. 

"It doesn’t make you feel good, you know, people coming into my place of business. Something I owned and worked hard on for years and years and years with no regard for anything," he said. 

Silva says he's been targeted by thieves at least three times now in the last year and a half. He says community support has kept him going.  

"It's frustrating, and again, it's the community that came out and support me and it's worth it," he says.  

Silva plans on adding exterior cameras to his security system along with adding other measures to help better secure the business.