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San Diego police are investigating a series of business robberies in La Jolla and whether they are connected. In most cases, thieves target cash registers and safes after hours.
In recent weeks, two businesses in the 1200 block of Prospect Street and Bay Street have been targeted by what police believe are the same robbers.
“Their close proximity and the video evidence of the two suspects leads us to believe they are all three suspects,” said police Lt. Paul Phillips. “They were able to cut open the safes at both prospect sites and take the contents. There was no security at the Fay site. We are awaiting results from our lab to see if this helps identify the suspects.”
In those and more recent burglaries, thieves used pry bars to pry open the front and back doors, Phillips said.
In one case, at Beard Papa’s pastry shop at 7874 Girard Ave, someone broke into the business’s key box outside the door, took the keys and used them to open the store at 5 a.m. on Feb. 20, said manager Natalie Nguyen.
“He ran straight to the register and booked it from there,” she said, getting away with about $900.
She had no descriptive information about the robber, other than that he was in his “late 20s.”
“We had to close the shop for two days because we couldn’t even open the front door,” Nguyen said. “Employees now have private keys, so hopefully this won’t happen again. I haven’t seen anyone around since then.
The Flower Pot Cafe and Bakery on Fay Street was robbed as part of a recent spate of similar crimes in La Jolla.
(Ashley Mackin-Solomon)
The Flower Pot Cafe and Bakery at 7530 Fay Street was also robbed during non-business hours. The criminals got away with an undisclosed amount of money, but “the good news is they didn’t break anything and it could have been worse,” co-owner Amanda Morrow said.
“They went in and did a little robbery and quickly got in and out. It’s never a good feeling, but I try to look on the bright side, and it could be worse.
Another case was reported in the 7900 block of Herschel Avenue, when a man targeted the cash register and urinated on the station, Phillips said.
Jewelry was taken where it was not given. Police are working to determine if that robbery is related to the others.
Although the thieves are still being sought, investigators have identified the getaway vehicle: “a gray SUV with large silver rims, possibly an Infiniti,” Phillips said.
“We’ve been increasing our patrols, and our detectives have developed some really good leads on the suspects,” police Lt. Brian Brecht told the La Jolla City Council on March 9. So we hope to bring that streak to a close.
As part of the investigation, burglary officers are being kept up-to-date on crimes so they can spend as much time as possible, police said.
Phillips said businesses can protect themselves by doing the following
• Leave as little money as possible in the register and other places in the business
• Hide as much security as possible
• Installing or adding video cameras
• Availability of space security
“Doing anything to make forced entry difficult is a benefit,” he said.
According to representatives of the La Jolla Village Merchants Association La Jolla Light That they have not been notified of recent breaches. But when a similar rash of thefts hit in late 2021 and early 2022, the board updated its strategic plan to add safety and security components so it could discuss ways to keep merchants safer.
The group has pledged to work with the San Diego Police Department to improve communication between businesses to catch and prevent robbers.
— La Jolla Light staff writer Elisabeth Frausto contributed to this report. ◆
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