Robbery Crew Blitzes Lafayette’s Panache Cafe

A crew of thieves raided the popular Panache Cafe in Lafayette at approximately 5 a.m. Thursday while the owner took refuge inside her store armed with a baseball bat, the thieves wrenching a safe off its base and making off with money and other items despite triggering a business alarm.

News of the blitz-style robbery, hallmarked by the presence of up to six masked thieves who strike quickly and violently, has rippled through the small town despite the lack of information from police and contracting sheriff’s agency.

Apple Sampaeng, the cafe’s owner, said she was first aware she was being robbed when the front glass door of her store at 3653 Mt. Diablo Boulevard shattered as she was opening for business and she ran to a location within the store to hide, the thieves apparently unaware she was still inside while they ransacked the business, taking money and electronics and walking past her hiding spot.

Apple spent Friday repairing the damage to her business and hopes to re-open for business Saturday.

Readers contacting News24/680 are talking of organizing a fundraising effort on behalf of the owner and her popular shop.

Readers/business people in Walnut Creek are also reporting additional crimes in their city Thursday, one in the 1500 block of Locust and another in the 1500 block of Bonanza. We’re told these businesses were also attacked by people with window smashers and crowbars but that there is no known connection between them and the theft at Panache.

On Friday, Lafayette police posted news of the break-in at Panache as well as one on Wednesday morning when officers were dispatched to the 3500 block of Golden Gate Way after workers from the business discovered damage to the door. Officers searched the interior of the business, but did not locate any suspects. Employees confirmed that a cash register containing cash had been stolen.