Riverwest's Art Bar broken into, register stolen, owner says

MILWAUKEE - The owner of Art Bar in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood said his business was broken into early Friday morning, Oct. 20. 

Don Krause said surveillance cameras at his business captured two people breaking in around 6:15 a.m., both wearing masks and hooded sweatshirts. He said he turned that video over to police.

It only took the two people a few minutes to get in, Krause said. Once inside, he said the two took the cash register and cash drawer – though there was no money in either. He estimated the damage to his business around $2,500 and said a window has already been replaced.

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The break-in comes a day after another Riverwest bar, Club 99, reported a pair of crimes. The businesses are located roughly five blocks apart from one another off Pierce Street.

Willie Ortiz, who has owned Club 99 with his dad for 15 years, said a burglar threw a brick through the front door Wednesday and took the cash register with roughly $400 inside. He patched up the door and reported it to police, but said someone tried to break in again Thursday.

Ortiz said he's now in the process of installing a security camera system in hopes to prevent anything like this from happening again. He said repairs are going to cost him more than $2,000.