Persistant Thief Gets Late Night Take-Out at China Shack

In an incident which could win St. John some free publicity on “America’s Stupidest Criminals,” a very persistent thief was captured on security cameras trying to burglarize several businesses in The Marketplace in the early morning hours of Friday, June  22, between 1 and 4 a.m.

The perpetrator, whose face was obscured on the security video, was recorded repeatedly running down the corridor leading to the China Shack restaurant and launching himself against the establishment’s wood-framed glass front door, eventually knocking it partially out if its frame and gaining entry, China Shack owner Meagan Soloff told St. John Tradewinds.

After bouncing off the door the thief would sit down and take a drink from his beer and study the situation before trying again, according to Soloff.

“He’s on the tape sitting down and taking a couple of swigs from his beer and running down the corridor about ten times,” Soloff recounted. “He left his beer bottle behind.”

The burglar escaped with a small amount of money from the cash register, the business owner added.
“I’m just really grateful he didn’t vandalize the place,” Soloff said.

The thief first attacked the glass door of the Baked in the Sun Bakery on the open third floor courtyard of the commercial complex before moving to her less visible second floor restaurant, according to Soloff.

A report of the incident was on the police log at the Leander Jurgen Command in Cruz Bay on Friday, June 22, at 8:55 a.m.

Officers picking up breakfast at the commercial complex shortly after 8 a.m. Friday, informed Soloff they would send other officers to investigate the incident. The investigating officers arrived around 10 a.m., she added.

“The police were very nice,” Soloff said