PHOENIX — For the second time this year, a small business located in an Ahwatukee shopping plaza has been burglarized.
First, it was El Taco Santo in January. Now, another shop has been targeted by a thief with the same MO.
“I don't know if I was thinking. I think it's just shocking. You just go into a shock,” said Cassie Tolman, the owner of Pomegranate Café.
On Sunday, a mother and daughter baking team that works at the cafe arrived around 5:30 a.m. to find the front door had been smashed.
The cafe’s security cameras caught the burglar in the act. That footage has since been handed over to the Phoenix police.
“It was clearly a professional because they just went right back to our safe, took our safe, and headed out the back door,” Tolman explained.
Tolman’s safe was later found empty in Scottsdale.
The man in Tolman’s video looked and acted similar to the man in the El Taco Santo burglary, causing each owner to believe it was the same man.
“It's very quick,” said Johnny Byrd, the owner of El Taco Santo of his January burglary that was also caught on camera. “He went straight for the cash register drawer, took it to the back, opened it up, took the cash in and out the back door.”
As violating as being burglarized can be, both owners have a deep sense of gratitude to the Ahwatukee community for the support they were both shown.
“The outreach from the community already has been surprising, overwhelming, inspiring, energizing,” Tolman shared. “It touched our hearts to know people have our back. And this community matters. We matter to the community and the community matters to us.”
Both businesses have beefed up security and hope other businesses in the area do the same.
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