OLATHE, Kan. — Olathe police are looking for a man they say has been breaking into restaurants in early morning hours and walking away with cash. Police say it’s happened at least three times at two different restaurants near 119th and Strang Line Road.
Employees at City Super Buffet say the burglar used a hammer to break one of the window panes on the front door, then reached in to open it. Police say he did the same thing to the Chinese restaurant twice in the past four months.
The man’s face was caught on camera.
Olathe police describe the man seen in the surveillance photo as around six feet tall, approximately 200 pounds and appears to be in his 20’s or 30’s.
Police say the man first hit City Super Buffet Chinese restaurant during the overnight hours in February.
“He actually broke a window right there and then just pushed a handle to get in,” said Jia Chen, the restaurant’s assistant manager.
In that incident the man reportedly took the entire cash register and all the money inside.
“It’s pretty scary though and it actually hurts our business,” Chen said.
The restaurant repaired the damages in February and then in April, the man hit again.
The second time the restaurant said he just took the register drawer, but still managed to get away with more than $800 in cash and coins.
That wasn’t the man’s only stop in the early morning hours of April 21st according to police. On the same night last month, police say the burglar also broke into the Mi Ranchito restaurant down the road on 119th.
In both incidents, police say the man shattered glass on the front doors to get in.
If you have any idea who the man might be, call the Olathe Police Department or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-TIPS.
