Tom Anderson, owner of the Rendezvous Bar & Grill in Welches, noted his
establishment had never been broken into in the 25 years he’s operated it.
That streak ended suddenly in the early morning hours of Friday, Oct. 11
when he got a call in the middle of the night that burglars had attempted to
steal a safe.

Nothing was taken during that incident, when a single person was captured on
camera, and Anderson secured the doors, anticipating a better fix. But he
thinks that same person came back with help early on Tuesday, Oct. 15, when
two people broke in again and this time were able to remove the restaurant’s
safe.

“They were only in the building, I’ll say, under a minute that time,” Anderson
said, adding that the alarm notified him of the intrusion and he watched a live
feed of the security camera on his computer as the heist took place. “This is
just becoming too prevalent.”

According to a police report by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO),
surveillance cameras recorded footage of two males wearing white hoodies
who broke in through the north doors to gain entry, then enter the restaurant

and remove the safe, which contained $838.35 cents from business, $120 in
petty cash and up to eight credit cards left by previous customers.

In addition to the loss of money and the damages, the experience has cost
Anderson his peace of mind and sleep.

“It just leads to an insecurity and I’d say general trust issues with everyone,”
he said. “(I) look at everybody with a different eye, whether its rightful or
not.”

Anderson added that a neighboring business had recently been broken into,
yielding clear images of someone trying to obscure a camera in that building,
while noting other businesses that have been hit in recent memory, including
Mt. Hood Bicycle. He said that police coverage on the Mountain can be limited
and response times aren’t always reliable, but also credited the efforts of the
CCSO.

“The sheriff's office has been amazingly accommodating,” he said. “I’m
surprised how much effort they’ve put into it.”

If you have any information about the break-in, please call the CCSO tip line
at 503-723-4949.