INDIO, CA — The apparent owner of a vehicle that crashed into an Indio restaurant then fled from the heavily damaged building contacted authorities and said his cousin may have been the driver, police said Tuesday.
The vehicle struck Burger Box in the 81000 block of Indio Boulevard around 7:20 a.m. Sunday, according to the Indio Police Department.
Police said the crash caused significant damage to the front of the restaurant, but no injuries were reported. Footage of the crash was captured on video surveillance, but the vehicle could not be found. Descriptions of the driver and the vehicle were not released.
Around 5 p.m. Sunday, the apparent owner of the vehicle called police dispatch claiming a 22-year-old cousin had taken his 2024 Chevy pickup "without permission," police said Tuesday.
The vehicle's owner, whose name was not released, was interviewed, police said, but no other details were released.
The investigation was ongoing.
Burger Box was expected to remain closed while staffers assess the damage and focus on repairs.
"This morning we got a call from Indio PD that a vehicle crashed into our restaurant, causing significant damage to the building," Burger Box posted on social media Sunday. "Thankfully, our biggest concern is everyone's safety, and we are grateful that no one was seriously injured as occurred overnight."
The post included photos showing broken glass, scattered debris, and heavy structural damage to the building.
The restaurant set up a GoFundMe page for financial support to help cover repair costs. The page can be found at gofund.me/abc0f3bb8.
Anyone with information regarding the case was asked to call the department at 760-391-4057, or report tips anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 760-341-7867.
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