New Prospect-Lefferts Gardens Empanada Shop Broken Into Before Opening

PROSPECT-LEFFERTS GARDENS, NY — A soon-to-be-opened Empanada shop in Prospect-Lefferts Gardens was broken into this week, the second setback for the new family-owned restaurant related to a criminal incident.

Briant Almonte, one of the store's owners, posted surveillance photos and video to a community Facebook page showing the two people breaking a back window on a door that leads into the kitchen of Empanada City.

Nothing was stolen, and they did not get inside the store, Almonte told Patch. Police investigators took fingerprints and no one has been identified in the Tuesday-morning break-in, Almonte said.

About a month and a half ago, graffiti was sprayed on the store front, Almonte said.

"The purpose of posting this publicly from our perspective is to make the community aware of these people who are out there trying to do harm to others so that everyone can be vigilant of their surroundings," Almonte told Patch on Thursday.

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While the attempted break-in caused headaches for Almonte and his family, he said it won't push back the opening of Empanada City, which he said will be "the next three to four weeks."

The restaurant, at 363 Lincoln Road between Nostrand and New York Avenues, will feature about 12 flavors of empanadas, along with desserts and — pending a liquor license approval — beer and wine.

"We will not be deterred, nor bullied by people who don't believe in the notion that hard work and dedication is how we help our communities prosper," Almonte said in his Facebook post.

Image courtesy of Brian Almonte