Crook burglarizes mayor's cafe

PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police are searching for a man who broke into the Pembroke Pines mayor's cafe early Sunday morning.

The burglary happened at about 4 a.m. at Mayor's Cafe on Hiatus Road and Taft Street. The cafe's owner said the restaurant's alarm went off and the alarm company notified him. "Very early, around 4:13 from the alarm company that an intruder broke into the restaurant," said Frank Otis.

Otis is Pembroke Pines' Mayor. He said surveillance cameras captured the man smashing the front entrance with a rock and entering the cafe. "Put a big rock through the door and window, came in, took the cash registers and went out back through the broken window and took off," said Otis.

The thief was inside for less than a minute and escaped with about $300 cash, two cash registers he stacked on top of one another and destroying a door in the process.

However the mayor and his business partner, Louis Nadel, are still looking at the bright side. "You're seeing people at gas stations getting hit with handguns and beat to the ground," said Nadel. "We're very fortunate that no one was here and there were no victims aside from the restaurant."

The restaurant re-opened hours after the crime.

Now the mayor is hoping someone can identify the bandit. "We're gonna get him, hopefully all you people out here will help us," said Otis.

If you have any information on this burglary, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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