HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The Houston Police Department saw a dramatic increase in burglary reports following Hurricane Beryl, with daily reports more than quadrupling. In June, the department averaged 10 reports a day for business burglaries. However, from the Monday of Beryl’s landfall to the following Saturday, they recorded 259 reports, averaging 43 per day.
The day after the storm, Chanon Yong Sanguanchai discovered that Sala Thai Eatery, located in the 200 block of Westheimer in Montrose, had been burglarized around 6 a.m. Sala had only been open for two months. Despite nearby businesses losing power, the restaurant retained electricity, allowing their surveillance cameras to capture the incident. Two men broke the glass entry door, stole a trashcan filled with alcohol, and took a safe with minimal cash.
Similarly, Bayou City Seafood, less than five miles away, was burglarized on Friday morning. Owner Dale Peters had taken precautions for the storm, including refrigerating food and removing expensive equipment. The restaurant, which lost power on Monday, was broken into early Friday. Peters received a call about the break-in and found three doors damaged, costing approximately $20,000 in repairs. The burglars filled two garbage cans with liquor but abandoned one after an officer noticed a suspicious car and obtained its license plate. Arrests were subsequently made.
Peters emphasized the need for accountability, expressing frustration over the lack of consequences for such crimes. Due to the power outage, his cameras could not record the burglary.
Although there were similarities between the Sala Thai Eatery and Bayou City Seafood incidents, authorities have not confirmed a connection.
In the aftermath of a disaster, the district attorney’s office can enhance punishments for crimes linked to the event. Sanguanchai supports this policy, stating, “I think it’s a time where we should come together and help each other out, but instead, they just took advantage of other people and kind of benefitted themselves, so I think it’s really good policy to have at the moment.”
