A burglar stole the cash drawer from a Miami Beach restaurant’s register after smashing through the glass door, surveillance footage obtained by 7News shows.
According to Liliana Arguinzones, the owner of 7tyone Restaurant & Coffee Bar at 1130 Normandy Drive, the burglar broke into her business at around 1 a.m., Friday morning.
“I’m very afraid. I’m nervous, I’m sad because that’s like my second home,” she said.
Once inside, the footage shows the burglar wearing a hat and shielding his face from view with what appears to be a rag as he made a beeline to the register behind the front counter.
Moments later, he’s seen ripping the whole drawer out and taking it with him.
The entire crime unfolded in just a matter of seconds.
Arguinzones said she found out about what happened hours later, after receiving a phone call from a neighboring business.
When she arrived, she discovered heaps of shattered glass by the front door, and a brick left on the ground not too far from it.
Arguinzones told 7News she opened the restaurant after moving to Miami Beach from Venezuela, where she offered cuisine from her country and poured all of her efforts for the past 10 years. She had always felt safe at this location during that time, until now.
“It’s not about the money. It’s about, you broke my dream, my safe place,” she said. “I was looking for a safe place and, after 10 years, this is the first time something like that happened.”
On top of the stolen money from the register, Arguinzones is now also saddled with repairing the shattered glass and investing in an improved security system.
She said, despite all of this, she hopes neighboring businesses band together to keep an eye out for each other.
“The most important thing is that the neighbor business owners know what is going on here in this neighborhood and do something,” she said.
Arguinzones added that she hopes the city also looks into making changes to nearby street lights, which she says, leaves that area shrouded in too much darkness after the sun sets.
Miami Beach Police have opened an investigation into the incident.
If you have any information on this crime, call Miami Beach Police or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
