Armed burglars caught on video breaking into North County taproom
Two armed burglars were caught on surveillance video Tuesday night breaking into the Mission Trail Cider House on Highway 46, near the Cholame “Y.”
The pair shot out the windows and took $400 in cash from the establishment, which is adjacent to the Jack Ranch Cafe, co-owner Victor Jones told The Tribune in a phone interview.
“We can’t really afford to shut down. It’s such a small business,” Jones said. “We cleaned up as best we could and opened that morning.”
Jones said the business operated with boarded-up windows for a few days, and that it “looked kind of condemned.” Since the windows are special-order, only one of the three has been replaced. The other replacements could come in as late as next week.
Jones, who co-owns the business with his brother, Monte, said the whole ordeal has cost them about $2,000.
“It’s a slower time of year right now too, and that plus the cost ...” he said.
In addition to the taproom, Mission Trail also has a farm in Bradley, Jones said. The cider house is “our main outlet to people to enjoy our products and explore what we have to offer,” Jones wrote in an email to The Tribune.
“It is especially sad because, according to everyone familiar with the history of the landmark building, something like this has not happened in over 60 years,” he wrote.
“It’s just kind of a senseless act and kind of troubling, kids going around at night with weapons and going around burglarizing businesses,” Jones said over the phone. “Hopefully, they’re caught.”
As of Monday afternoon, no arrests have been made, according to San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Cipolla.
“We believe the two suspects are juveniles,” Cipolla wrote in an email to The Tribune. “The windows are believed to have been shot out with BB guns.”
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, Cipolla said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office North Station at 805-434-4290.
Jones also asked anyone with information to call him at 805-556-5233 or to email him at victor@missiontrailranches.com.
