A San Diego restaurant owner is warning fellow small business owners to stay vigilant after his restaurant was burglarized early Thursday morning — part of a growing string of break-ins reported across the county.
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A San Diego restaurant owner is warning fellow small business owners to stay vigilant after his restaurant was burglarized early Thursday morning — part of a growing string of break-ins reported across the county.
Yannis Pihas, owner of Yanni’s Bar and Grill, said he was awakened by a phone alert that his restaurant’s alarm had been triggered. At first, he assumed it was the cleaning crew — until he checked his surveillance camera footage.
“I said, this doesn’t look like the night cleaning crew,” Pihas said. “They had face masks, they had hoodies. I was in very deep sleep, but I woke up in a hurry and called the police.”
Officers arrived within minutes, but the two thieves had already used a crowbar to force their way in through a side door. Once inside, they broke into a locked office and found $3,300 in bank deposit bags.
The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle. Investigators were able to obtain a license plate number from the surveillance footage, but the plates were stolen.
“You have the cameras, you have the alarm system — you think that you’re safe,” Pihas said. “But if you’re dealing with professional thieves like these people, you’re not safe at all.”
The burglary is one of several that have targeted small businesses throughout San Diego County in recent weeks. Police have not confirmed whether the incidents are connected or the work of the same group.
“People like this are eventually going to get caught,” Pihas said. “We live in a country that has jobs everywhere. If you are able, you can find a job. You can make an honest living.”
Pihas encouraged other business owners not to leave any cash inside their businesses overnight.
Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact San Diego Police.
Leave a comment