WILKES-BARRE -- Wilkes-Barre police are searching for the person who broke into a restaurant in the city three times in 10 days.
The owner of the Anthracite Café in Wilke-Barre tells Newswatch 16 that the man stole cash and caused damage that cost the business thousands of dollars. He said police were able to identify him from surveillance video.
"He's obviously a degenerate," Anthracite Café owner Mike Prushinski said. "He is trying to salvage something up for himself. From what I understand, he's homeless and he's been in trouble with the law before."
Prushinski opened the Anthracite Cafe 12 years ago. He said the man broke into the business three times. The first time was nearly two weeks ago. The last time was this past Sunday.
He said he was breaking in through an air duct underneath the restaurant. After the restaurant was broken into so many times, the owner said that he had to take drastic action to keep it from happening again. The owner filled in the air duct with cement.
"There is no way he can get into the building unless he's gonna be on camera again," Prushinski said.
Customers have been offering their support to the restaurant since the break-ins started.
"I didn't expect it to happen," Tom Unvarsky of Wilkes-Barre said. "The building is secure pretty good and when it did happen it did surprise me that it did happen."
Prushinski said police have been out looking for the suspect. He is confident he will be found soon.
"You can't keep running around doing this, especially in this nice little neighborhood we still have left in Wilkes-Barre," Prushinski said.
So far, no arrest has been made. If you know anything about the break-ins, you're asked to contact Wilkes-Barre police.