Thieves robbed the beloved Italian restaurant Serafina in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood. It’s the restaurant’s 18th break-in since the pandemic’s start and the introduction of light-on-crime laws and policies.
The pair broke into the restaurant and ransacked its wine locker Dec. 1. According to video surveillance exclusively shared with the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH, the thieves surveyed the wine locker for the best bottles to steal.
Chandler tells the Jason Rantz Show that the thieves used a crowbar to get passed the locked doors and then stole between 30 and 40 bottles of wine.
“They knew what they were doing. They knew what to look for and they grabbed the good stuff,” Chandler explained.
Bad journalism. I do not see where they reported the names of the wine stolen.
Armistice Coffee, which is across the street from Serafina, has been hit so often that it stopped accepting and carrying cash. Not only did the owner have to replace broken windows, but she had to purchase new cash tills that were stolen.
“We were getting broken into every two weeks,” owner Rebecca Smith told the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “And realistically, we still are, but the problem we face is that they smashed our window, which is a minimum of $1,000 to fix.”
Ironically, the policy to go cashless upset some progressive activists who criticized Smith for making it harder for the homeless to shop at her coffee shops. The homeless, however, don’t shop at her stores; they steal.
That is kind of funny.
Chandler says he and other business owners in the neighborhood are frustrated. They feel like the city is letting them down and are not being supported.
“I mean, 18 times in two and a half years is ridiculous. And, you know, the fact that I’m even reaching out to these council members and the mayor’s office, requesting all this help … just do something for us. You know, small businesses are the backbone of the city of Seattle. I see restaurants closing weekly. And there’s more that the city could be doing to help us out.”
One thing he’d like to see? More police officers. But the Seattle City Council just voted to permanently defund 80 open positions, shrinking an already understaffed department.
