GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — Surveillance video at an overnight burglary at a longtime North Texas restaurant shows how burglars got away with a large amount money.
The owner of Lili's Restaurant on South Belt Line Road in Grand Prairie was at home when she got an alarm on her cell phone just after 3 a.m. She got there within minutes, but the burglars were gone.
Now her daughter is hoping people seeing the video of the burglars can help. Maria Bonilla decided not to stay quiet about the break-in. She is sharing videos that show three burglars inside Lili's Restaurant who wore hooded sweatshirts, gloves and masks. It also shows them hammering the restaurant's floor mounted safe. It's a family owned and operated restaurant.
"We're not a big corporation," Maria Bonilla said, "we're a small business that is literally ran because of us."
In 2014, Bonilla's mother added Lili's Restaurant to her retail store which had been open for five years. But they never expected being the target of a brazen burglar.
Bonilla urges everyone to look at the suspects who are caught on camera. She hopes people will pay special attention to their clothing like the sweatshirt with Screwed Up Click on the back. At some point during the video there is also a chance for people to see one of the suspects up close. Although he is masked, Bonilla said she believes people who know him will recognize him.
The burglary is a huge financial setback. The thieves stole two safes and a huge amount of money. So, Maria is counting on help from the public and social media.
"I literally just sent it to friends and I put it out there to Granbury, Dallas, saying please share this. I was like, just share this for me," said Bonilla.
Despite the break-in, Lili's Restaurant is back open. Bonilla said it means the world to her mother to see families enjoying her food. Many of the items on the menu are her mother's own and much of the selections are authentic.
"She loves it. Like literally like every time she's here, she'll tell me, 'look at them, they finish their whole plate,'" said Bonilla. "She notices that a lot of people that come in here are coming from other countries, they started off as an immigrant just like her."
Bonilla said she hopes the $2,500 Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to a conviction encourages someone to come forward. She said Dallas police detectives reached out to her about the burglar because they suspect the same men are responsible for an unsolved break-in they are investigating. Maria believes that makes getting help from the public even more important.
"It's going to help others around us," said Bonilla.
Anyone with information on the Lili's Restaurant burglary can anonymously call Grand Prairie Crime Stoppers at 988-TIPS (8477) to earn a $2,500 reward with tips that lead to a conviction. All calls to the tip line are 100% confidential.