Man Swipes Fire Extinguishers From Fish House Bar and Grill In Watsonville

A man posing as a contractor stole fire extinguishers from a Watsonville restaurant on Tuesday, a police sergeant said Thursday.

Shortly before 3 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to a report of fire extinguishers taken from the Fish House Bar and Grill at 972 Main St., police Sgt. Eric Montalbo said.

Arriving officers spoke with the restaurant’s owner, who said the suspect entered the business, claimed to be an independent contractor from “ET Fire Protection” and asked to inspect his fire extinguishers, Montalbo said. The owner permitted him to conduct the inspection, believing the suspect was there on behalf of the Watsonville Fire Department, according to Montalbo.

The suspect took two fire extinguishers and asked the owner to be paid for his service, Montalbo said. The suspect then fled in a vehicle described as a newer black BMW X3, he said. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male with brown hair, hazel eyes and buck teeth, according to Montalbo.

Police and fire officials are asking local business owners to be cautious around anyone presenting themselves as a fire inspector. Inspectors from the city’s fire department will be in full uniform, not in plain clothes, police and fire officials said.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the Watsonville police tip line at (831) 728-3544 or investigation bureau at (831) 768-3352.

--Bay City News/Shutterstock image

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