EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — A weekend break-in at a West El Paso restaurant lasted just 12 minutes but ended with a thief making off with more than $2,500, according to the owner.
Mesa Street Grill shared surveillance video of the burglary on social media, prompting KFOX14/CBS4 to speak with owner Aaron Means about what happened and what he said police have told him so far.
Means said the restaurant has now been hit four times, with break-ins occurring about eight to 12 months apart. The suspects, he said, “always seem to find a different access point.”
This time, Means said, the intruder came in through the ceiling.
“So they popped in through an exhaust vent, landed on our hanging ceiling, shimmied their way to the wine room, dropped down and just kind of ran through the restaurant as fast as they could looking to find anything of value,” Means said.
Mesa Street Grill Owner Aaron Means. Sept. 23, 2026. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
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Means said the cash register was empty, but the thief went further, pulling down the safe, placing it on an office chair and rolling it out of the restaurant. Means said the amount taken was a little over $2,500.
Means said he has also heard other restaurants have been targeted.
“I’ve heard that there are four or five other ones throughout the city,” Means said, adding that police confirmed those other break-ins to him.
To prevent future incidents, Means said the restaurant has been working to limit access points, but he added, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” expressing concern that thieves could continue finding new ways in.
KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out to the El Paso Police Department to obtain the incident report. In the meantime, Means said he has spoken with police and believes investigators have “a lot of clues” and are still working the case.
Below is the video the restaurant shared on social media (the music and emojis were added by the restaurant).
WATCH:
Surveillance video showing a break-in at the Mesa Street Grill. Credit: Mesa Street Grill
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