Lake Stevens police investigate break-in, theft of safe at pizzeria

Published 9:42 pm Friday, October 14, 2011

LAKE STEVENS — Detectives are investigating a break-in and theft of a 400-pound safe from a Lake Stevens pizza restaurant.

Lake Stevens police and firefighters first were called to a shopping center in the 12400 block of 20th Street after a fire was reported on the north side of the building around 10:30 p.m. Thursday. The outside of the building sustained minor damage, police said.

When the owner of the pizza business went to work on Friday morning, he discovered that someone broke into the restaurant by prying open the back door, police chief Randy Celori said.

The owner reported the large safe containing an undisclosed amount of cash had been stolen, Celori said.

Phone lines to the shopping center also had been cut.