
Beloved Lafayette Restaurant Burglarized; Owner Asks Public for Assistance
A break-in at Hot Food Express early Wednesday morning left the popular Lafayette restaurant dealing with property damage. Still, the owner says the outpouring of support from the local community has been his silver lining in an otherwise frustrating situation.
According to a Facebook post from the restaurant, two individuals broke into the business at 5:32 a.m., smashing a glass door to gain entry. Surveillance footage shows the suspects scoping out the restaurant before breaking in. One suspect wore a mask, while the other initially had his hoodie down but pulled it up on the way out. The pair quickly fled on foot before police arrived.
Owner Zee Baloch shared that while the burglars didn’t get away with any cash, they did cause costly damage, taking empty cash drawers and destroying a $3,000 point-of-sale system. “The cops are on it,” Baloch said, explaining that officers are reviewing security footage from surrounding businesses and using facial recognition technology to try to identify the suspects. Despite the setback, he remains grateful that no one was hurt.
In the wake of this upsetting incident, Baloch says the response from the Lafayette community has been overwhelming. “The number of messages, calls, and visits from people just wanting to show their support has been nothing short of amazing,” he said. “This whole situation may be a setback, a small distraction, but in the grand scheme of things, I feel nothing but blessed.”
Police continue to investigate and are asking anyone with information to come forward. Hot Food Express also encourages customers to share tips that might help identify the individuals responsible.
Despite the break-in, it’s business as usual at Hot Food Express, where Baloch and his team have put their heads down, determined to get back to work to keep serving the community that has shown them so much support.
Anyone with information is urged to contact local authorities.
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Gallery Credit: Charlotte Barnett
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