Thieves Vandalize Aunty Maile’s Hawaiian Restaurant in Torrance, Steal Safe

TORRANCE, Calif. (KABC) — A popular Torrance restaurant has added new layers of security after being targeted by thieves in an incident that was caught on surveillance video.

Footage captured last week of a break-in at Aunty Maile’s Hawaiian restaurant shows two thieves crawling across the floor of the restaurant after entering through a broken window. They then made their way straight to a safe bolted to the floor.

The owners had just returned home from attending a funeral in Hawaii when their alarm company called to alert them.

“We have an incredible community and a lot of support from the community,” said owner Kai Tsukiyama. “They all come out and do what they can to help us, which is incredible. We couldn’t be more grateful. It’s really hard. We weren’t prepared for this and this is one of the few times where they’ve really received a lot, and it’s really hurt us.”

Despite the break-in, the owners managed to repair the broken windows and reopened the restaurant without delay.

In the meantime, anyone with information about the break-in is urged to contact authorities.