9 OC businesses hit by burglars in less than 3 hours

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - At least nine businesses in three different Orange County cities get broken into -- all in less than three hours.

"And it’s not the first time," said the manager of the popular Selma’s Chicago Pizzeria, one of five locations hit. 

In one Rancho Santa Margarita strip mall, which was targeted overnight on Wednesday, January 11, you can see security video showing two males covering their heads with hoodies and using rocks to break into glass doors.

Between 12:30 a.m. and 2:45 am, five businesses, including a Starbucks, were hit in Rancho Santa Margarita. In addition, two other businesses in Laguna Hills and Mission Viejo were also targeted, raising the total to nine businesses.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is trying to determine if they were all targeted by the same suspects. Another thing deputies are looking to figure out is if these string of burglaries are also related to the incidents that took place five months ago, which included locations in Ladera Heights.

"It was five guys that time and they hit us hard," said an employee of one of the restaurants hit five months ago.

"It’s not like we carry a lot of money," says Selma’s manager, adding that the damage the burglars did is probably more than what they got in cash this time.  

"Things are definitely changing," adds one customer, who says he lives in Rancho Santa Margarita because it’s considered one of the safest cities in the country. 

Business owners add they can’t remember being robbed before the incidents five months ago.

No arrests have been made as of Thursday night. If you have any information, please let OC County Sheriff know.