This story was first printed in the Thursday, Jan. 2, Daily Post. To read all of the important local stories first, pick up the Post in the mornings at 1,000 Mid-Peninsula locations. Our copycat competitors read our print edition — that’s where they get their news.
BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Managing Editor
Burglars targeted a handful of downtown Palo Alto restaurants over the past week, police said.
It started at Local 271 on Dec. 23 when several people broke into the restaurant at 271 University Ave. and stole several thousands of dollars in cash, according to police Capt. James Reifschneider.
Three days later, on Dec. 26, a group of burglars smashed their way into NOLA restaurant and bar and took a safe containing thousands of dollars, Reifschneider said.
NOLA General Manager Cameron Boos got a call around 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 26 from the restaurant’s chef, letting her know that someone had smashed two doors — the front door and to the manager’s office — and the safe was missing, she told the Post.
The bar and restaurant at 535 Ramona St., has replaced the safe and repaired the doors since the break-in.
The last break-in at the restaurant was in 2005, Boos said.
Burglars hit Coupa Cafe, which is across the street from NOLA at 538 Ramona St., on Tuesday around 1 a.m., Reifschneider said.
The burglars forced their way into the establishment before taking several hundred dollars in cash, Reifschneider said.
The restaurants are all a few blocks away from the police station at 275 Forest Ave. The city is planning to move the police headquarters to 250 Sherman Ave. sometime this year.
Reifschneider says patrol officers are spending extra time in downtown overnight and detectives are actively working these cases.
It’s possible these break-ins are related to similar burglaries in other Bay Area cities, Reifschneider said.
We just got broken into as well. We have to get these guys. What is it at now, 15ish places!! Every cop I’ve talk to done k ow anything about it. Police need to communicate across jurisdiction