SEATTLE — Early Wednesday morning, Kauai Family Restaurant in Georgetown became the latest business to fall victim to the smash-and-grab trend in Seattle.
Owner Peter Buza said two people crashed a car into the front of the building until they were able to gain access. Once inside, they ransacked the place in what Buva believes was an effort to find cash.
Instead, they got away with a handful of sodas, juice and raw chicken thighs. They also broke into the store next door, Cakes of Paradise, a bakery run by Buza's nephew.
"They just threw things around looking around for money and they left," Buza told KING 5.
The obvious theory is that the burglars are looking for cash.
"Nobody keeps money in their registers," Buza said, trying to wrap his mind around the repeated offenses throughout the area.
Understanding the motivations of thieves is difficult for business owners like Buza as well as law enforcement agencies.
The King County Prosecutor's Office is on pace to filed more than 440 charges related to commercial burglaries this year.
"King County prosecutors work with understandably frustrated business owners every day, and prosecutors are going to keep charging these cases. We want business to know that we hear them, and we're going to keep going to court to show how these are not just property crimes," said Casey McNerthney, a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office.
"The key is having enough resources for police to have detectives who can refer these cases to prosecutors, because we can't take action without those referrals," McNerthney added.
Instead of enjoying the holiday week, Buza was forced to enlist the help of friends and customers to repair the damage to the restaurant he's operated for 31 years. He estimates he's been targeted more than a half-dozen times.
"Leave us alone already, we're struggling. We work hard, we work 16 hours a day over here," he said, directing his comments to the thieves. "You're making us work harder for less. We have people here that need to feed their families."
Buza was hoping to re-open by Friday.