Burglar Breaks Into Restaurant, Serves Himself For 4 Days

NEW HAVEN, CT — Police have arrested a New Haven man accused of breaking into a restaurant and helping himself to food and beverages before he was found during a manager's check. Louis Ortiz was charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree larceny, first-degree criminal mischief, and second-degree failure to appear related to an East Haven warrant.

He was held on $12,500 bond and scheduled for arraignment this morning.

According to police, officers responded to a burglary in progress at a downtown Crown Street restaurant on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. The caller reported finding an unknown man, later identified as Ortiz, asleep in the closed restaurant.

Police located Ortiz nearby on Crown Street and detained him. He was found in possession of a bottle of the restaurant’s rum, according to police.

Investigators then viewed security video footage which confirmed the initial burglary occurred on Saturday when Ortiz entered through a side window of the restaurant.

Officers learned Ortiz helped himself over the course of four days to the restaurant’s food, liquor, and beer. In addition to eating and drinking at the restaurant, Ortiz removed beverages and property from the building.

The business had been closed during this time and it was a manager’s routine check of the establishment that led to the discovery of the burglary.

Management estimated the loss of food and beverages at several thousand dollars, including an estimated 70 bottles of stolen or consumed liquor.