Cash stolen in overnight break-in at Kiddie Kobbler in Ottawa’s east end

A window was smashed in an overnight break-in at Kiddie Kobbler on St. Laurent Boulevard. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

The owner of Kiddie Kobbler is spending Good Friday cleaning up the popular shoe store in Ottawa’s east end after an overnight smash and grab.

Rob, the Shoeman, Krantzberg says he arrived at the Kiddie Kobbler store on St. Laurent Boulevard Friday morning to do a little cleaning, and discovered someone had broken into the store and stole money from the cashbox.

“I came in to find two massive rocks inside my store and a shattered window,” Krantzberg told CTV News Ottawa Friday morning.

“So somebody helped themselves to a new way to enter my business after hours.”

Krantzberg says it looks like the thieves just went after the cashbox, and no other items were stolen.

“A few hundred dollars,” Krantzberg says about the amount of cash stolen.

“Maybe my mistake for leaving cash in a cashbox overnight in a locked store with an alarm system, I guess we won’t make that mistake again.”

Krantzberg and his team have been fitting thousands of children and their families with footwear since 1983.  He says while the pandemic posed a “very, very big challenge,” having the store broken into is a “different sensation altogether.”

“It’s a very uncomfortable feeling to know that someone can just smash into your business and take whatever they want,” Krantzberg said. “It leaves me a little disheartened and heart broken; at the same time nobody was hurt and we’ll have insurance to cover it. It just leaves you with a little bit of an empty spot in my heart, I guess.”

A report about the break and enter has been filed with Ottawa police.

Krantzberg says he will be cleaning the store on Friday to ensure it’s ready for customers again on Saturday.