Park Slope Restaurant 'Demoralized' After 4 Burglaries, Vandalism

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN — A Park Slope restaurant is asking for the public's help after being broken into or vandalized four times in the last two months.

Chela Modern Mexican Cuisine and Tequila Bar on Fifth Avenue posted video from the most recent burglary on Wednesday, a day after five people broke the eatery's front windows and tried to steal from the cash register, according to the post and police.

The break-in was the fourth time Chela has been burglarized or vandalized in two months, owners said.

"We are not alone — other small businesses around us are experiencing the same thing," they wrote. "This is exhausting and demoralizing. We are struggling to survive as it is."

The most recent burglary unfolded just before 2 a.m. at the 408 Fifth Ave. storefront, according to police.

The group of five broke the front glass window and opened the cash register, but found nothing inside. Instead, they searched the basement and took a bottle before fleeing, police said. There were no arrests as of Thursday afternoon.

"Do you know these guys? Care to share across social media?" Chela asked their followers on Facebook. "Care to complain to our representatives that a crime wave is plaguing our neighborhood unchecked? News media? Anybody want to help us out here?"

Owners at Chela did not immediately respond to Patch's request for more details about when the other burglaries and vandalism took place.

The break-ins at Chela come after a commercial burglary spike in Park Slope earlier this year.

Back in October, there were 30 burglaries at Park Slope businesses in two months, many on Fifth Avenue. The surge prompted police and local officials to visit stores in the neighborhood and warn them about prevention measures.

The spike seems to have continued into the end of the year. In the last 28 days, there have been 23 burglaries in Park Slope's 78th Precinct, double the number there were during the same time period last year, NYPD data shows.

Overall, there was a 21 percent increase in burglaries in the 78th Precinct this year compared to 2020, according to the data.