//Police: Man ‘helped himself’ to restaurant’s food, liquor for days

Police: Man ‘helped himself’ to restaurant’s food, liquor for days

A Connecticut man was arrested after he allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of food and liquor from a closed restaurant over the course of four days, according to police.Louis Ortiz, 42, is charged with burglary and larceny, both in the third degree, first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree failure to appear, according to New Haven Police Capt. Anthony Duff.Duff said officers were sent to Soul De Cuba Cafe to investigate a report of a burglary in progress around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when a caller reported finding a man, later identified as Ortiz, “asleep in the closed restaurant.”“Investigators reviewed security video footage which confirmed the initial burglary occurred several days prior on Saturday when Ortiz made entry through a side window of the restaurant,” Duff said.“Officers learned Ortiz helped himself over the course of four days to the restaurant’s food, liquor and beer,” Duff said. “In addition to eating and drinking at the restaurant, Ortiz removed beverages and property from the building.”The restaurant had been closed, Duff said. A manager checked on the business and discovered the burglary, he said.Ortiz allegedly took “several thousand dollars” of food and beverages from the establishment, including “an estimated 70 bottles of stolen or consumed liquor,” Duff said.Ortiz was detained down the street from the business with a bottle of the restaurant’s rum, Duff said.He was held in lieu of a $12,500 bail at the department’s detention center at the Union Avenue station, then arraigned Wednesday, Duff said.

A Connecticut man was arrested after he allegedly stole thousands of dollars worth of food and liquor from a closed restaurant over the course of four days, according to police.

Louis Ortiz, 42, is charged with burglary and larceny, both in the third degree, first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree failure to appear, according to New Haven Police Capt. Anthony Duff.

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Duff said officers were sent to Soul De Cuba Cafe to investigate a report of a burglary in progress around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when a caller reported finding a man, later identified as Ortiz, “asleep in the closed restaurant.”

“Investigators reviewed security video footage which confirmed the initial burglary occurred several days prior on Saturday when Ortiz made entry through a side window of the restaurant,” Duff said.

“Officers learned Ortiz helped himself over the course of four days to the restaurant’s food, liquor and beer,” Duff said. “In addition to eating and drinking at the restaurant, Ortiz removed beverages and property from the building.”

The restaurant had been closed, Duff said. A manager checked on the business and discovered the burglary, he said.

Ortiz allegedly took “several thousand dollars” of food and beverages from the establishment, including “an estimated 70 bottles of stolen or consumed liquor,” Duff said.

Ortiz was detained down the street from the business with a bottle of the restaurant’s rum, Duff said.

He was held in lieu of a $12,500 bail at the department’s detention center at the Union Avenue station, then arraigned Wednesday, Duff said.