Stockton restaurant burglarized days after armed robbers hit their food truck
STOCKTON -- A Stockton business owner was hit with a one-two punch in a single week. First, armed robbers stormed into her food truck. Now, burglars have broken into her restaurant.
Stockon police have opened an investigation into a burglary at the Mexican restaurant "La Baja Birrieria Tijuana" overnight Thursday.
Owner Claudia Ruiz shows their small entry point.
"They went through here," Ruiz said.
Surveillance video showed one crouching in the kitchen before stealing everything in a refrigerator. Another camera captured a suspect getting away by hoping the 10-foot-tall fence.
"What's the worst part of this as an owner right now?" CBS13's Steve Large asked.
"That they come back and do it again," Ruiz said.
The burglary follows a first attack on Ruiz's taco truck. Armed robbers pointed guns at her employees' heads last week.
Police have also opened an investigation at the Mexican restaurant "Tacos El Grullense," where armed robbers held an employee at gunpoint Wednesday before leaving with nothing.
In the month of August, online police daily records show there have been ten armed robberies targeting businesses in Stockton.
Police spokesperson Ofc.Omer Edhah says officers do special check-ins in business districts that see a statistical increase in crime.
"Our detectives continue to follow up on all these cases, they take these cases very seriously," Officer Edhah said. "As of yet, we haven't been able to confirm whether any of these incidents are connected, or are similar in manner."
The Stockon Police Officers Association reports the force is currently short-staffed by 130 officers.
It's an officer shortage this business owner is concerned is impacting her livelihood.
"We haven't even gone through the first one and now it's the second one. It's a lot in one week," Ruiz said.
Ruiz says she is getting a lot of support from the community. Together, both crimes have cost her thousands of dollars.
