Berkeley Perk Cafe Becomes Latest Break-In Victim

Overall crime is down in the South End compared to last year, but burglaries and thefts from vehicles are on the rise, according to monthly statistics released by Boston Police.

In recent weeks, local businesses have been targeted by thieves including a break-in at a local café last week that left the restaurant in shambles, police said.

owners arrived to work on Thursday to find their front door smashed in and the door lock damaged. The inside of the restaurant was trashed, and between $500 and $750 was stolen from the cash box, according to a report of the incident.

Video surveillance captured images of the perpetrator, a stocky male wearing a dark hoodie, as he used his body to smash the door around 12:49 a.m. on Thursday morning. According to police, video footage shows the suspect “ransacking the premises until his exit” approximately 10 minutes later.

No arrests have been made in connection with the break-in, however undercover officers surveying the area early Friday morning detained an individual loitering in front of the business. According to a report, the person closely resembled the suspect seen in the surveillance video. No charges were filed.

A similar break-in occurred earlier this month at the nearby where a thief reportedly robbed the business of around $300. According to statistics released by police, burglary incidents are up 28 percent in the district for the months of January and February compared to numbers from those same months in 2010. Vehicle thefts are up 14 percent.