3 Northridge businesses broken into overnight, owners say thefts are common

LOS ANGELES - Police in the Northridge area are searching for a group of thieves they believe is responsible for multiple break-ins at area businesses overnight.

On Wednesday, there was a plastic tarp covering the door of the Ebenezer Salvadorian Restaurant in Northridge. Surveillance footage showed the scene from overnight; thieves breaking in, and getting into the cash register, throwing the drawer to the floor angrily when they found no money inside. That happened around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, according to the timestamp on the tape.

Police tell FOX 11 they believe the same group was responsible for break-ins at Halal Kitchen Cafe across the street, and Yonder Coffee on Balboa Boulevard. 

Belle Cagas, the owner of Yonder Coffee, said this is at least the third time her store has been targeted.

She said the thieves broke in around 3:30 a.m., "as they normally do, break in the window, break in the door and then look for cash, usually near the cash register, and then look elsewhere. There were three of them this time, so they split up. One in the front, a couple in the back."

Cagas said the first time her store was robbed, it cost her about $1,500 to fix what was broken, since that robbery happened on a weekend. Each time since, she said it's cost her between $400 and $500. Cagas said in addition to the other two businesses that were targeted overnight into Wednesday, there have been several break-ins in other storefronts in the plaza.

Store owners tell FOX 11 that they're scared, and they're sick and tired of paying to replace broken doors and windows. Now businesses say they don't keep any cash in their registers, and some don't even lock their registers or safes, because they're so used to robberies, they don't want their things destroyed.

Anyone with information about any of the robberies is asked to call the Los Angeles Police Department.