Livermore, California — A Livermore restaurant that closed early to protect employees and customers during the Little Fire has become the victim of an apparent burglary, with thieves making off with approximately $1,000 worth of meat and cheese while evacuation orders were in effect nearby.
The incident happened at Da Boccery, a restaurant and bar located on Vineyard Avenue directly across from the Ruby Hill neighborhood, one of the areas affected by the wildfire emergency.
Restaurant Closed Early as Wildfire Threat Grew
As the Little Fire moved northeast on Tuesday, thousands of residents, including those living in Ruby Hill, were ordered to evacuate.
With public safety becoming the priority, Da Boccery’s management decided to shut down operations earlier than usual.
General manager Mitchell Bryant said the decision was made to ensure both employees and guests remained safe as conditions around the wildfire continued to change.
However, what staff discovered the following day came as an unexpected shock.
Suspects Allegedly Returned Twice to Steal Food
According to Bryant, surveillance footage showed someone cutting the lock on the restaurant’s back gate before entering the property.
The first visit reportedly occurred around 7:30 p.m., when the suspect allegedly stole a case of burgers and tri-tip.
Bryant said the individual later returned around 10:30 p.m., this time accompanied by another person.
Together, they allegedly left with four additional cases of burgers, bacon and several cases of cheese, bringing the estimated loss to around $1,000.
“Between myself and our owner, we decided to close early for the safety of the staff and guests,” Mitchell Bryant said. “We come to find out that next day that at 7:30 p.m., somebody had cut the bolt to our back gate, come in, and helped themselves to a case of our burgers and tri-tip. Then, he returned around 10:30 with a friend to take four more cases of burgers, some bacon, and some cheese.”
Police Investigating Felony Theft
The Livermore Police Department confirmed that an investigation into the burglary is ongoing.
Because the value of the stolen property exceeded $950, the incident is being investigated as a felony theft under California law. Authorities have not released information about possible suspects or whether any arrests have been made.
Police are continuing to review available evidence as they work to identify those responsible.
Restaurant Calls Theft “Opportunistic”
Bryant said he hopes there may have been a personal reason behind the theft but believes the suspects likely took advantage of the unusual circumstances created by the wildfire evacuations.
“The optimist in me would like to think that maybe he’s trying to feed a family or got some other personal problems, (and) that this was his only recourse. But honestly, I think it was just opportunistic,” Mitchell said. “It was bizarre and unfortunate. We never thought we’d have to deal with that.”
As the Livermore community continues recovering from the Little Fire, restaurant staff now face replacing the stolen inventory while police work to solve the case.
What do you think about businesses being targeted during emergency evacuations? Should penalties be tougher for crimes committed during natural disasters? Share your thoughts respectfully in the comments below.
