At about 4 a.m. last Thursday, Mile High Café, Idyllwild Ice Cream & Jerky and Fratello’s Ristorante & Pizzeria were all broken into by three individuals.

Broken glass was throughout the dining room of Mile High Café after a break-in early Thursday morning.
PHOTO BY GRACE HAN

“They broke into Mile High Café at 4:06 a.m., took our cash register and receipt printer and got out by 4:09 a.m.,” said Grace Han from Mile High Café. “Two of the people tried to go in the kitchen but came back out with nothing.”

Fratello’s Ristorante & Pizzeria wrote the following on its Facebook page: “Our alarm was triggered at 4 a.m., arriving to a broken glass door, due to a group of individuals with their faces and heads covered breaking into to Fratello’s Ristorante. Come to find out, we were not the only restaurant that was broken into during this time. We as well hope these individuals are found and face the consequences. If you have any information, please let us know.”

Fratello’s Ristorante & Pizzeria was also broken into the same morning as Mile High Café and Idyllwild Ice Cream & Jerky. The suspects shattered the door to enter and exit the building.
PHOTO BY MANNY SOLIS

“On Thursday, Aug. 13 at 3:57 a.m., Hemet Station deputies were dispatched to the 54000 block of Ridgeview Drive reference a business being burglarized,” wrote Riverside County Sheriff's Department (RCSD)Correctional Sergeant Deanna Pecoraro. “When deputies arrived, they found the suspect(s) had fled the scene. This is an active investigation and we do not have details regarding the case.”

While video footage shows three individuals getting out of one vehicle, due to the quality of the video footage, it is hard to identify these individuals.

A screenshot of the vehicle the suspects were driving.
PHOTO BY MANNY SOLIS

“Our camera footage doesn’t capture their faces or identifying features very well,” Han explained.

According to Han, Riverside County Sheriff’s Community Service Officer Jeff Funkhouser recovered the missing items Thursday morning and returned them to Mile High Café. Unfortunately, they were severely damaged.

“On Thursday, Aug. 13 at 4:11 a.m., Hemet Station deputies were dispatched to the 26000 block of Highway 243, reference an alarm of a business,” wrote Pecoraro. “Deputies arrived and did not locate any persons within the business. A report was written. I do not have any further details on this incident.”

“They stole our cash drawer, but there was no money in there,” said Idyllwild Ice Cream & Jerky Assistant Manager Emily Brower. “Other than that, they basically ransacked the place.” As of press time, RCSD did not respond to questions regarding this incident.

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