Penngrove Community Fears Further Robberies as Additional Details Come Out

Penngrove Main Street business owners are buzzing with concern due to two expertly executed robberies that occurred between Saturday and Monday this week.  The robber seems to have planned carefully the entry into the buildings, leaving almost no trace except the missing cash.

Bauman College, in the shopping center at the corner of Main Street and Old Redwood Highway was robbed sometime between six o’clock pm on Saturday when it closed and seven am Sunday when it opened for cleaning.  Even though there was evidence of a break in, such as open drawers, the cleaning staff didn't think it was a robbery and continued with their job.  It wasn’t until the regular staff arrived Monday morning that they realized cash had been stolen from the school.  By then, much of the potential evidence had been disturbed or cleaned.

The thief didn’t bother taking any computers or other large items.

This is in keeping with the story from the Penngrove Pub which was robbed about 48 hours later, less than a block and a half away.  He wore a ski mask and acted with precision.  The robber broke in the back door without leaving a sign of a break in, drilled into a protected ATM machine and was able to access the back room to get more cash. 

“He was obviously a professional,” said Paul, a former law enforcement official and bartender who refused to give his last name.  “That ATM is made of a steel that can’t just be drilled into with an average bit.  He had to have a titanium drill and know the layout of the machine.”

It seems the robber knew where that there was security cameras, and where they were.  “He would have only had to come here a couple times to see what the security is,” Paul explained,   “Are there wires around the door?  Where are the cameras?  It wouldn’t take much.”

Paul, and many others in the neighborhood, are concerned that if the economic decline doesn’t get better, there may be more robberies.  Explaining why he thinks that crime is on the rise Paul said, “Whenever the economy gets bad, the crime rate goes up.”

The recent outbreak of professional robberies on Main Street in Penngrove has the tiny town so afraid, some of the store owners refuse to speak about it for fear of retribution.  One Main Street store owner told me, “I feel so violated.”  Another store owner on Main Street said, “I think giving a comment will be counter-productive.  I don’t want people to know I haven’t been robbed.”

Their fear isn’t completely unjustified.  SuperBurger, also in the one and a half block stretch Main Street was recently robbed.  The Javamore has been robbed.  The front door of the Costume Shop was open one morning (one neighbor thinks it was an attempted robbery, but the owner says nothing was missing).  All of these places are on that one and a half block stretch.

One business owner on Main Street reports having seen a suspicious locksmith van in the area.  She suspects that they may live in the car.  Many people think the entries require a special set of skills a locksmith would possess.

Penngrove is in an unincorporated section of Sonoma County and is protected by one Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputy unit at night.  Unfortunately, that deputy unit serves all of the unincorporated areas in southern Sonoma County, leaving any one area practically unprotected.  Even though there has been a visible increased California Highway Patrol presence on Main Street in the last few days, it has done little to settle the nerves of the town. 

Due to the rural, unpatrolled nature of Penngrove, many owners and employees of Main Street businesses think there needs to be a strong neighborhood watch.  Many have suggested a town hall meeting at the Friendly Fireman’s Club House to notify the neighbors about the robberies and teach people how to stay safe.

Paul added, “Right now people should be more aware of how to protect themselves.” 

As of yet, there are no arrests in the case and the Sheriff’s Department have yet to return calls by Empire Report.