Thief leaves apology note after 10 California businesses burglarized

Nearly a dozen businesses were targeted over a two-day crime spree in San Fernando this week, with a thief leaving an apology note at the scene of at least one restaurant.

Ten businesses had been either burglarized or vandalized in the area around the Maclay Avenue corridor and San Fernando Mall on Wednesday and Thursday, San Fernando Chief of Police Fabian Valdez said in a video interview with freelance organization RMG News.

Surveillance video from Teriyaki Madness, a restaurant along the 1200 block of Truman Street, showed a thief breaking into a cash register before leaving a Post-It note apologizing for the break-in.

“Sorry! Need $ for drugs. Won’t come back,” the note said.

It was the second time this week the restaurant was hit, with a thief breaking in through a window in both instances, owner Mario Essary said.

On the second break-in, the thief pried open both registers and stole $600, Essary said.

E

ssary said the restaurant has been burglarized five times in the 13 years that he has owned it, but that this most recent break-in left him with fewer damages.

“The last time we had a break-in, [the thieves] had a game plan and left my point of sales systems damaged,” he said. “This time, the thief left me a friendly note and said they needed money for drugs.”

“Seems like they have too much time on their hands to be able to write a note and fumble with the cash register for about 30 minutes,” he said.

Essary was on vacation when the break-ins occurred, and his 21-year-old daughter, Lea, was in charge of the restaurant.

“Our alarm systems are supposed to be going off during this time but they didn’t,” Lea told RMG News. “It’s scary, all throughout the San Fernando Valley.”

“It’s unheard of,” she said.

The other burglarized businesses included a coffee shop, two taco restaurants, two ice cream shops and a property management office.

Information about the thief was not released by police, and no arrests had been announced on Friday.