San Francisco

Large group of thieves breaks into San Francisco restaurant

NBC Universal, Inc.

A frustrated restaurant owner in San Francisco spoke out Friday after a large group of thieves broke into his business overnight.

Kobe Aukcarapasutanun, the owner of Thai restaurant Saap Ver, said several people tried to break in through the restaurant's locked front door. When that didn’t work, they broke a large glass window and rushed in.

"Around 5 in the morning, I got the call from my staff," Aukcarapasutanun said.

He found the glass shattered outside his Division Street restaurant and said after seeing the video, it's clear to him it was a coordinated effort.

"Not like one guy come to hit," he said. "This is gang. We have video that show more than 10 people coming."

He said once the thieves got inside, they helped themselves to a register and a safe, leaving a mess behind in the office.

"I don’t know, but this area in the morning is quiet, very quiet," Aukcarapasutanun said.

He said police came fast, but paying to operate a business in an already expensive city while dealing with a burglary doesn’t make him feel safe.

"We saw this happen a lot in the city but how to city protect us," he said.

Police said a witness told them that three cars were parked outside. The suspects exited the restaurant and took off.

Less than a half-mile away on Bryant Street, Vaulins Taproom was also burglarized early in the morning, the owner said. Police said they responded at 4:52 a.m.

The owner said two safes and other items were taken. A witness said they saw a large group jump into three cars outside the business.

As of Friday afternoon, no arrests had been made in either incident, but police continued to investigate.

It wasn't immediately clear if the two incidents were related.

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