A small taco shop on U Street is picking up the pieces -- with the help of the local community -- after a burglar broke in early Thursday morning.
Security camera footage from outside the store captured the moment the burglar smashed the front window of Taqueria Xochi. Then, cameras inside show him rummaging around the store and looking for items to steal.
"I got here, seeing the glass broken, everything a mess at the front, it was very heartbreaking," said Geraldine Mendoza, one of the founders of the taco shop.
According to Mendoza, the burglar stole cash and several tablets from the store.
"It cost us a lot of money and work for us to be able to open this storefront, so it’s very disheartening that this happened," Mendoza said.
The burglar was still inside when her employees showed up for work Thursday morning, Mendoza said, and she believes he heard the front door opening, got scared, and ran out the back door.
She's just glad no one was hurt.
"That was my main concern and priority, my staff," Mendoza said. "So things can be replaced at the end of the day, but you cannot replace whoever works with you. We’re a family."
News4's Eun Yang featured Taqueria Xochi as part of her “Food Fare” series two years ago.
Mendoza and her business partner were furloughed during the pandemic -- so they decided to open their own restaurant.
On Thursday morning, the taco shop posted news of the break-in on Instagram.
It didn’t take long for the comments to come pouring in.
That support means a lot to Mendoza.
"We’re very grateful for all our customers," she said. "They have shown a ton of support and love."
"So sorry to hear, I’ll help in any way I can by bringing you more business," said one commenter.
"I’ll be buying some tacos tonight," said another.
According to DC Police, burglaries in the District are down 17% from this time in 2022.
Back in February, a chocolate shop in Adams Morgan was robbed twice in two days by the same man, and a flower shop in the same neighborhood had a break-in.
