Crowbar-wielding burglar breaks into Riverside family's restaurant

A crowbar-wielding burglar broke into a Riverside family's restaurant and caused thousands of dollars in damage Friday morning. 

Security cameras at Morena's Mexican Cuisine captured the suspect breaking into the restaurant, then going behind the counter and the register. The surveillance footage shows him wandering around the restaurant and ransacking the backroom before he finds the safe. 

The suspect dragged the 150-pound safe through the back of the restaurant and shoved it into his getaway car before driving away. 

"Thankfully, there was no money in the safe," general manager Pablo Rosales said. "But, there was money in the register in the back. He dropped our conventional oven, which was $3,000, completely shattered it."

Rosales said the suspect also stole gift cards meant for the restaurant's employees. 

"It's kind of like the Grinch, right?" Rosales said. 

The family reported the break-in to the Riverside Police Department. Rosales hopes the security videos, which show the masked suspect and his beat-up old Toyota Camry, will help officers track down the suspect. 

"I'm just thankful to God no one was hurt," Rosales said. "Everyone is safe."

Rosales said the suspect looks like the same person who broke into a couple of other small businesses.