‘Crime here seems to get worse and worse’: Several KC businesses broken into overnight

Thieves shattered the glass on Buffalo State Pizza’s front door early Monday morning. But by the afternoon, things were business as usual inside the Crossroads joint. The glass was clean, fully repaired.

“It’s because we’ve hit so many times that the glass company has our measurements on file now,” said owner Philippe Lechevin. “Three times this year already. So they were able to work pretty quick.”

Lechevin was counting himself among the lucky Monday: The thieves were scared off by a motion alarm and didn’t make off with any cash or property.

Some other local businesses couldn’t say the same.

Ruby Jean’s Juicery (3000 Troost Ave.), Anchor Island Coffee (4101 Troost Ave.), Teocali Mexican Restaurant (2512 Holmes) and Nothing Bundt Cakes (332 W. 63rd St.) all reported break-ins overnight.

Jacob Becchina, a spokesman with the Kansas City police, said Monday afternoon that no arrests have been made. A similar overnight spree hit local coffee shops and eateries in June.

At Teocali, thieves shattered the glass on the front door, broke the door of owner Enrique Gutierrez’s office, and made off with a safe full of cash.

“They got me really good,” Gutierrez said.

Armando Vasquez, co-owner of Anchor Island Coffee, estimated his shop’s damages at around $6,000.

“They broke our walk-up window, damaged both the front and back door, and stole our hot plates,” Vasquez said.

It is the third time Anchor Island Coffee has been broken into since opening in 2020, he said.

“We leave our drawers open so people can see from outside that we don’t have any cash in here,” Vasquez said. “But it doesn’t seem to work. Crime here seems to be getting worse and worse instead of better since we opened.”

An employee at Nothing Bundt Cakes said thieves broke the front glass door sometime around 1 a.m. Monday. They entered the business but did not take anything.

By Monday afternoon, Gutierrez had cleared away the broken glass outside Teocali. He had a circular saw in his hand and was preparing to cut a plywood board resting on the bed of a truck — a temporary fix for the door.

“It’s the first time we’ve been broken into in 18 years,” Gutierrez said, rapping the plywood. “I guess I should knock on wood.”