{"id":165926,"date":"2026-02-06T00:21:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T00:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/165926\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T00:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T00:21:07","slug":"san-diego-shop-turns-burglary-into-social-media-gold-annenberg-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/165926\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego shop turns burglary into social media gold \u2013 Annenberg Media"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nothing hits better than a late night sweet treat, but one man took his search for the perfect bite further than most when he broke into Mr Frostie<\/a> early Sunday morning. <\/p>\n

A man dressed in a turquoise shirt and khaki pants broke into the store at about 1:20 a.m., according to surveillance footage<\/a> shared by Mr Frostie on Instagram. However, his heist was far from successful.<\/p>\n

The burglar immediately tripped and fell after entering the shop, knocking over a tub of ice cream and covering the floor. The man proceeded to wipe the dairy mess from his pants before grabbing a nearby towel to clean up the kitchen. <\/p>\n

Before leaving, the man served himself a scoop of ice cream. <\/p>\n

Not one piece of expensive equipment was taken. Nor valuables or even cash. Just a scoop of ice cream. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a fun thing in these wild times with everything going on, politically, economically, everything, we\u2019re like, \u2018Man, we just need to make people smile,\u2019\u201d said Jack Conca, son of the shop owners, of sharing the video online. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat pairs perfectly with ice cream is a smile,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Conca said he didn\u2019t expect the video to garner as much attention as it has.<\/p>\n

USC Public Relations and Advertising professor Robert Kozinets believes this has served in the establishment\u2019s favor. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is fantastic earned media,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat could be more sincere than people robbing you to get your goods.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matthew Le Veque, also a USC public relations and advertising professor, said he could see Mr Frostie\u2019s customer base grow as a result of the social media response.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is a smart move by the shop,\u201d he said. \u201cIt helps publicize the crime committed and can assist the police in solving it, while simultaneously generating a positive brand message about how good their ice cream is.\u201d <\/p>\n

Established in 1949, Mr. Frostie has been serving up some mouthwatering classics that draw every age group to their old-school cuisine. Fan favorites include the peanut butter and chocolate shake, a banana split and dipped cones to accompany their iconic soft serve.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just kind of rocking with it,\u201d Conca said.<\/p>\n