Rose Lake Restaurant burglarized

ROSE LAKE - In the 24 years that Bill and Donna White have owned the Rose Lake Restaurant, no one had burglarized the business.

But that changed late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

Someone burglarized the restaurant off the Rose Lake exit of eastbound Interstate 90 and pried open the cash register and ATM to steal money, Donna White said.

"The ATM is in eight pieces," she said.

The value of the ATM is about $2,600, she said.

"I don't know if there was $20 or $200 in it," she said. "I questioned whether I should have had one put in in the first place and this confirms my suspicions. I believe the ATM is why they broke in."

White said an estimated $150 to $200 in coin rolls were taken from the cash register. The bills inside a cash bag were not found, she said.

"They didn't take any food or beer," she said. "They were strictly after money."

Even Bill's big, well-known cookies - made by the "Cookie Man" himself - weren't touched.

"We were a little offended by that," Donna said with a slight laugh.

White said the leasing company wants to replace the ATM, but White no longer wants one inside the business.

"I'm not sure how that's going to go," she said.

The suspect cut the cord to a camera inside the business.

"They knew what they were doing," White said.

She said the suspect entered the restaurant through the kitchen window.

"They popped the screen off and slid through the bars that were about 18 inches apart," she said.

White said she believes the business was burglarized between 11 p.m. on Wednesday and 1 a.m. on Thursday based on when the business is open, newspaper delivery workers converging in the parking lot in the early morning hours and other circumstances.

White said the alarm sounded at the Conoco down the road around midnight when someone damaged the back door, but no one made it inside.

"I think that they hit us first, then went to Conoco," White said.

The Whites also own the Rose Lake General Store next to the restaurant and it was not burglarized.

White said the couple plan to upgrade their surveillance system at both businesses so an alarm will sound at their home when there is a burglary attempt.

There were no suspects as of Thursday.

Those with information are encouraged to contact the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office at 446-1400.