Lodi police are investigating whether this is related to a similar robbery.
LODI, Calif. — Cafecito Lounge, Lizabeth Rivera's Mexican coffee shop, was back to mixing drinks and calling orders Friday. As Rivera walked to the Kettleman Lane store to open Wednesday morning, she went inside to see the remains of the overnight break-in.
“It's heartbreaking. It's sad,” Rivera said of her reaction when she saw broken glass and broken glass on the ground. “(The robbers) come in, they come out, and they're out the door within 30 seconds.”
The robbery around 9:30 Tuesday night happened quickly, but ultimately left her business with thousands of dollars in damage and losses.
“I have to pay $1,500 just at the counter, the register, I have to order a new one. It's about $800, and then at the end of the day, it adds up,” said the 1-year-old. said Rivera, who has a daughter. A cafe was also broken into in August.
Since the robbery in August, Rivera said he no longer leaves cash at the coffee shop overnight.
Rivera wasn't the only one dealing with broken glass from nighttime burglaries this week, as were the owners of at least four other Lodi businesses where similar break-ins were reported to police.
“The police officers who came and tried to help us are frustrated and frustrated. You know, we're frustrated and frustrated, too,” Rivera said. “We are doing our best to stay in business.”
The Lodi Police Department said investigators are looking into a connection to the robbery. One of the robberies occurred right next to Cafecito Lounge, almost two days after the coffee shop was broken into. No arrests have been made.
“We don't want to board up the windows or put rails on them. We don't want to do that,” Rivera said, adding that her company plans to install thicker glass soon. added. “But the next step is you have to push yourself to do something like that.”
Rivera doesn't want to take the next step, hoping that community support will help the business succeed and keep crime away from the cafe.
“We have loyal customers who have been very supportive and have come to our aid. We are grateful to them,” Rivera said. “I hope it doesn't happen again.”
See more ABC10: A Stockton restaurant was robbed days after a taco truck was robbed at gunpoint.
