WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Warren restaurant owner is turning a heartbreaking theft into an opportunity to help her community after a burglar stole sentimental items from her business early Thursday morning.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's video report below:
Just Smash It, a burger restaurant on 8 Mile in Warren, approaching its one-year anniversary, was broken into when a suspect broke the lock to gain entry around 2:40 a.m. Thursday.
You can watch the surveillance video below:
Owner Matashia Dykes discovered the thief had taken irreplaceable mementos that held special meaning to her and her business.
"He took something that meant a lot to us. Our first customers had came in, and just, like, as a gift they blessed the restaurant. We had three hundred dollar bills with just good luck messages and things like that on the money," Dykes said.
These keepsakes represented the restaurant's first large sales and gifts – meaningful tokens that marked the beginning of what has become a successful business that has expanded to include locations in downtown Detroit and inside Ford Field.
Surveillance footage shows the suspect helping himself to a beverage from the refrigerator, searching unsuccessfully for more cash, and quickly leaving the premises.
"Literally like a thief in the night," Dykes added.
Despite the violation, Dykes refuses to let the incident dampen her spirit or commitment to the community. Instead, she's planning to offer discounted food items for one hour each day throughout the weekend. She's calling it "power-hour" and says she will announce the times on social media.
"Just because we're gonna turn something bad into something good," Dykes said.
The restaurant owner, known for her generosity, regularly donates extra food to homeless people in the Jefferson area and helps customers who come up short on cash.
Dykes expressed that the suspect could have simply asked for help rather than resorting to theft.
"If he needed anything, he could've literally just asked," Dykes said.
Anyone with information about the incident or who recognizes the suspect is asked to contact the Warren Police Department.
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