Burglary suspects caught on camera breaking in through wall to enter restaurant

AHWATUKEE, Ariz. (3TV/CBS 5/Gray News) - The suspect who entered three Ahwatukee businesses by smashing holes in their walls remain on the loose.

“A little unorthodox, for sure,” said Patrick Larson, the owner of Caffe Boa, who bought the restaurant two years ago. The anniversary is next weekend.

Larson said this was the first break-in the restaurant has had since he took over.

“It’s was pretty wild, as far as seeing two grown men come through the wall,” he said.

Just after 4 a.m. Thursday, Larson’s surveillance cameras captured two subjects breaking a wall connecting Caffe Boa and Sakana Sushi. One person pops out, and the other follows. The pair scatter through Larson’s restaurant with their faces covered with bandana scarves.

Larson said his security system gave a warning beep when it detects motion. If a code isn’t put in, a loud alarm goes off, and law enforcement is alerted. That’s what happened when the thieves can be seen running away. One left through the back door, and the other went back through the hole.

“It’s a little upsetting because our heart and soul is truly in this, and a lot of people in the community love this place. And we have a large following of regulars, so it makes them feel kind of unsafe as well,” said Larson.

Before getting to his restaurant, Larson said the suspects used the back door of a vacant unit and made a hole in that wall to enter Smiley Nails.

The nail salon owner, who didn’t want to talk on camera, said they don’t keep money in the building. However, the suspects turned off their security cameras, trashed the place, collected equipment in baskets and even ate her cookie, she said.

The salon owner said they tried to smash through one of her walls to get into the Sakani Sushi bar, but a beam was in the way. So the pair made another hole in her wall to enter the sushi restaurant.

The owner of Sakana was not available, but the walls could be seen patched up.

“Luckily, nothing was taken and no one was hurt, which is all that matters because we can fix dry wall. If they came in through the window, we can fix a broken glass. It could’ve been a lot worse, so I feel good about it,” said Larson.

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