A burglary at the future Trader Joe’s in Silverdale was broken up March 25 when a man walking his dog spotted three men stealing valuable metal parts from an air conditioning unit.

Deputies were called at about 3:15 a.m., when the man was able to flag down a newspaper carrier, according to reports.

The witness said the three men scrambled when he called out and asked them what they were doing. He said they fled on foot, but were then picked up in a van that left the area via Tracyton Boulevard.

The contractor working on the boutique grocery store set to open later this year, said about $1,500 in copper wiring was stolen from the cooling system. It also appeared the thieves were attempting to remove other expensive parts.

The contractor said they would install more exterior lights and chain the unit closed.