LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Las Vegas restaurant is cleaning up after thieves broke in and cut open a safe early Sunday morning.
Surveillance video shows a window shattered and sparks flying as intruders used a saw to open a safe inside Vanilla Rice Hibachi, near Flamingo and Sandhill.
Owner Zach Tolen discovered the burglary while attending church. He estimated the broken window could cost up to $1,000 to replace.
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Tolen said the restaurant stopped accepting cash years ago as a safety measure, leaving him questioning why the business was targeted. A sign posted beside the broken window states that cash is not accepted.
“I’m assuming they broke in to take some cash because they went straight to the safe, which means they already knew that the safe was there,” Tolen said. “They didn’t take any time to try to find the safe or anything. They walked right to it.”
“The crazy part is, a lot of our neighbors have gotten hit over the years,” Tolen said. “I always joke and said, if somebody broke in here, the worst they could do is make themselves some food.”
FOX5 contacted nearby businesses, with one restaurant in the shopping center confirming they have had similar break-ins over the years.
Tolen said the incident comes amid an increase in homelessness and crime in the area but added that the business remains committed to the community.
“Definitely a lot more crime, a lot more, you know, homeless as well,” Tolen said. “Here, we try to cater to them as much as possible. We try to, you know, give them waters if they’re outside. Try to give them a little bit of fried rice, just make sure that they know that we’re here to help if we can.”
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has been contacted for additional details.
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