New Toronto business offering $10K reward for tips about devastating burglary
A Toronto business that opened its doors less than a year ago has already been the unfortunate victim of a burglary in which tens of thousands of dollars worth of high-end equipment it requires to operate was stolen — and it’s now offering a hefty reward to anyone who can help catch the perpetrators.
The team at laser hair removal clinic GoLaser was absolutely devastated to find on the morning of April 30 that they had been robbed in the middle of the night, leaving the Eglinton West storefront without two of the extremely pricey laser machines they use to perform all of their services.
Founder Monica Gold immediately contacted police, but it seems little progress has been made on the case since.
So, she turned to social media to gather any information she can to help apprehend those responsible for the loss, who were caught in the act on CCTV footage that is now circulating on Instagram and Nextdoor.
In a clever and surprisingly upbeat video, Gold took the incident in stride, humourously repositioning the costly crime as a potential selling feature.
“I know so many clinics say, ‘We have the best laser,’ but my big question to you is: have any of those other clinics actually had their lasers stolen?” Gold says in an admirably cheerful tone in an Instagram reel that has since garnered more than 17,000 views.
“That’s right, our lasers are so good that people want to steal them!”
The reel then includes a clip of the CCTV footage from around 12:40 am on April 30, with Monica explaining overtop that two individuals broke into the clinic with the sole intent of stealing the equipment. “They didn’t take iPads, didn’t take computers — just wanted our lasers,” she says.
She then offers would-be laser thieves a much more hassle-free alternative: to just come in, book an appointment, and get a free consultation and test patch “so you know what our laser feels like before you try and steal it.”
“We really look forward to getting you booked in to get you hair-free by the most wanted and stolen laser in Toronto,” Gold jokes.
The clinic also advertised a hefty reward of $10,000 on Nextdoor for any tips that lead to the capture of the individuals in question, also sharing the security footage and stills.
The call for information also details the equipment that was stolen: two Candela GentleMax lasers, which go for upwards of USD$50,000 each, and one of the serial numbers in case the machine pops up on a resale site.
“I would love to hold out hope [that they will be arrested], but something tells me that it’s unlikely,” Gold tells blogTO, adding that based on the videos, the perpetrators may be professional criminals.
“We tried our best to turn some serious lemons into lemonade, but it is a scary situation. This time it happened at night when we were closed, but people get braver. So we’ve upped our safety as much as we possibly can.”
Based on the response on social media so far, people are doing their best to support the business by sharing the footage and story of the crime. Here’s to hoping some good can come of the ordeal.
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