A pizza shop owner says he has been left with no choice but to arm himself after an armed burglary at his business last week.
Two armed men stormed the pizza shop in Collingwood in Melbourne a little after 9 pm on Thursday and forced the only employee working in the kitchen at the time to show them where the cash was kept.
The masked intruders took away the 22-year-old international student’s wallet with them before leaving on foot.
A security guard at a nearby hotel called the police after they threatened him as the guard tried to stop them.
Owner Harry Sachdeva says these kind of incidents are devastating for small businesses such as his.
“It’s pretty devastating that somebody can just walk in and take your money away,” Mr Sachdeva told 7 News. “It’s a small business and it’s already hard to run. When this happens, you just shut it.”
He says the offenders should be dealt with sternly.
“You’ve got to put the tough laws in and make sure they don’t get out. They need to know the consequences of doing things,” he said.
Mr Sachdeva says he is concerned that even if these men are caught, the will be out soon and he may be a target again. He says he will arm himself now on.
But, the Victoria Police has in the past advised the public to be compliant with demands of offenders and not to confront them.
