'I can see you in there you know!' Cafe owner scares off burglar by shouting through a CCTV device on his phone while holidaying in the Dominican Republic 4,000 miles away

  • Jamie Foster yelled at suspect while on coach to airport in Dominican Republic
  • App on his phone opened live CCTV when intruder entered Essex business
  • Police are hunting for the man who stole £50 from the Lillies Cafe in Wickford

By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

This is the extraordinary moment a cafe owner scared off a burglar while on holiday 4,000 miles away by screaming 'I can see you' using a CCTV device on his phone.

Jamie Foster, 34, was on a coach on his way to the airport in the Dominican Republic when he terrified the raider by yelling at his mobile screen.

The businessman watched aghast as the cameras were activated in his cafe and he saw the intruder rifling through the till.

The CCTV had been activated via his phone app and Mr Foster was able to watch from another continent. 

His cries of 'I can see you in there you know' startled the criminal, causing him to flee the Lillies Cafe in Wickford, Essex, with £50 in his hand.

This burglar is wanted for theft and was spooked after the owner used an app to shout at him from 4,000 miles away

This burglar is wanted for theft and was spooked after the owner used an app to shout at him from 4,000 miles away

Video of the incident shows the moment the criminal heard: ''I can see you in there you know' and ran off with £50
Video of the incident shows the moment the criminal heard: ''I can see you in there you know' and ran off with £50

Video of the incident shows the moment the criminal heard: ''I can see you in there you know' and ran off with £50

Father-of-one Mr Foster said: 'It was a very quiet coach and then I just started shouting at my phone.

'I think I made a few people jump. If anyone was asleep, it would have woken them up.

Jamie Foster, 34, was on holiday in the Dominican Republic (pictured) when the CCTV activated on his phone

Jamie Foster, 34, was on holiday in the Dominican Republic (pictured) when the CCTV activated on his phone

'I could see him rummaging around the cupboard. I told him I could see him.

'If I wasn't on a coach I probably would have been a lot louder and more abusive.'

Detectives are investigating the break-in and have released an image of a person of interest.

Mr Foster said: 'I got a notification about movement from my Ring camera system at the cafe.

He added: 'I managed to shout at him to try and make sure he left.

'He got in through a skylight window and stole about £50 from the till.

'I wasn't able to call the police as I was abroad, so had to get one of my members of staff to contact them for me.

'When I saw him in the cafe, I was in a state of panic initially and wanted to get him out as soon as possible.'

Mr Foster, who lives with his wife and three-year-old daughter in Laindon, Essex, paid £159 for the Ring camera, plus a £80 annual subscription fee for the company to store the videos for up to 60 days.

Detectives are investigating the break-in and have appealed for people who know the man to come forward

Detectives are investigating the break-in and have appealed for people who know the man to come forward

The camera connects to the cafe's wifi and is activated by heat sensors.

Once someone is detected, Jamie receives a notification on his phone, which opens a live video feed.

He was on his way back from a two-week holiday with his family when the intruder struck.

It was the second raid this year following a burglary in March.

He said: 'It seems as though it was opportunists both times, I think it was a case of people thinking let's go in there.

'I am constantly checking the cameras to see if anything is happening.

'Luckily these incidents haven't happened when the cafe has been open so it hasn't had as much of an affect of the staff as it has on me.'

During the last incident two men broke into the cafe and stole tablets used for ordering food and caused about £8,000 worth of damage.

They made away with the three Lenova tablets, as well as smashing an alarm system and damaging a side door in the process of breaking in.

During the latest incident officers were called at around 7.10pm on Thursday, September 27. 

Anyone with information should call Essex Police on 101 quoting crime reference 42/140385/18.

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