In the early hours of Thursday morning, at least four local businesses were hit by a smash-and-grab spree in Canyon Country.
According to Deputy Robert Jensen, spokesman for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the smash-and-grabs happened between 2:50 a.m. and 3:55 a.m. on the 19400 and 18500 blocks of Soledad Canyon Road and 27500 block of Sierra Highway.
The businesses that were targeted include Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt, California Bakery and Cafe, Ameci Pizza and Pasta, and The Ninja Cooks.
“It’s not so much the cash. It’s the time that we have to put in to for the investigation, respond to the police … the reporting, ordering the window, ordering the boarding, the insurance, the register company,” said Augustine Prieto, owner of California Bakery and Cafe. “It’s a half a day or more, just to take care of the problem, where the people are just taking cash.”
“It ruins your day,” Prieto added. “I think my day is worth more than $500.”
There were two different suspects, and they shattered the windows of all four businesses, according to Jensen.
Jensen said it’s believed that about $4,000 in total was stolen.
“We got an alert on our cameras saying that somebody was in our restaurant,” said Ezequiel Camacho, co-owner of The Ninja Cooks. “Somebody broke into our door. We believe they used a rock because we saw it in our videos. They took a few dollars … they took the register. They broke it and we got a new one.”
All four smash-and-grabs are believed to be connected and there is an ongoing investigation by the Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau, Jensen said.
Videos, courtesy of The Ninja Cooks
