Hit-And-Run Driver Slams Into Businesses, 2 Men Burglarize Store

SANTA MONICA, CA — A hit-and-run driver crashed into a Santa Monica restaurant, slamming into an outdoor dining area and store this week, police said. Minutes later, two men broke into one of the damaged stores through the shattered glass and stole a cash register.

No suspect information was immediately available, Lt. Rudy Flores of the Santa Monica Police Department told Patch.

The crash and burglary happened shortly after 2 a.m. Monday at Heroic Italian, Berbere and Thunderbolt Spiritual Bookstore in the 500 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, between 5th Court and 5th Street, police said.

Three businesses in total were damaged. It's unclear what the total estimate in damage could be.

Jeffrey Merrihue, the Executive Chef at Heroic Italian, told SMDP that this is the second time a van has crashed into the restaurant. On Sept. 30, a separate incident happened at the location, and it's made the already difficult recovery process even harsher in the pandemic.

"Anyone who is still open after this mess (the pandemic) has got to have some kind of fundamental underlying resilience," Merrihue said.

The restaurant was also damaged on May 30, 2020, during the hours of unrest across the city. More than 200 businesses in the Santa Monica area were damaged, as protesting turned into looting and police arrested hundreds for violating curfew while armored National Guard vehicles rolled in to lockdown looted neighborhoods.

"Our team has a never give up attitude; when we got looted May 31st of last year the place was pretty well ransacked, but we came in in the morning, and a lot of the neighbors came out, and we all swept up and opened on time at 11 a.m. with broken windows," Merrihue said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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