Pleasanton police are investigating a coordinated series of break-ins that struck at least 18 businesses in the city before dawn on Thursday. The intruders targeted multiple establishments, including locations within the Pacific Pearl shopping center on Stoneridge Drive. Surveillance footage reviewed by local media shows a masked individual using a device to shatter the glass door of a sushi restaurant at approximately 3:50 a.m.
The suspect entered the premises, took the cash register, and exited through the broken doorway.
Damage was reported at numerous other sites, including a Korean fried chicken restaurant where the owner stated approximately $300 was stolen. At another location, staff discovered the cash register on the floor with about $20 missing, though the cost of repairs significantly exceeded the amount of cash taken.
Mika Bhakta, who owns a dessert shop at the Pacific Pearl center but was not directly targeted, described the scene as devastating for the community, noting that the area is typically considered a safe, family-friendly environment.
Pleasanton police Lieutenant Brandon Stocking stated that officers pursued four suspects following a burglary at a different shopping center. The chase involved a Lexus GS, but law enforcement terminated the pursuit due to safety concerns. Stocking acknowledged the impact on business owners and affirmed that the department is working to identify and apprehend those responsible.
