Beloved family-owned Italian restaurant burglarized in Placerville
A beloved family-run Italian restaurant in Placerville is picking up the pieces after burglars broke in overnight, stealing cash and leaving behind damage that staff say goes far beyond money.
The break-in happened early Friday morning at The Place, a longtime local favorite. Surveillance video shows two suspects arriving in a car, getting out with crowbars, and prying open the restaurant's front door.
Once inside, the thieves moved quickly and went straight for the cash registers before fleeing in the same vehicle.
Owner Michael McDermott says he first learned about the burglary from an early morning phone call.
"I got a phone call this morning from my pastry chef," McDermott said. "She said the door is broken, and sure enough, we checked the cameras and someone kicked the front door in."
McDermott estimates that about $1,400 was stolen. But he says the emotional impact on his family and employees has been far greater.
"You're not just stealing from me," McDermott said. "It's me, my wife, and my kids. You're stealing from all my employees."
Staff members arriving for work were shocked by what they found.
"At first I was really confused," said prep chef Megan Crisp. "I thought maybe chef or his wife were there. Then I saw things were broken and rummaged through, and my heart sank."
Employees say the burglary has shaken the tight-knit team in the small community.
"When something like this happens, it kind of jars the morale a bit," said employee Yvonne Earlywine. "We have to get together in a tighter group so everyone feels safe again."
This is the third break-in the restaurant's owners have experienced in the past ten years. McDermott hopes someone will recognize the suspects or their vehicle from the surveillance footage.
"Placerville is a really small town," he said. "I'm going to see that vehicle again. Customers are going to see this and they're going to tell me who these people are."
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office is investigating the burglary.