Bungling burglar falls through restaurant ceiling onto shocked diner

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Patrons at a Florida restaurant were startled by noises in the eatery's ceiling -- but not as shocked as they were moments later when a man fell through.

The Daytona Beach Police Department said diners at the Hibachi Grill and Supreme Buffet alerted the manager to strange noises in the ceiling around 6 p.m. Tuesday and the manager went into his office, where he found broken ceiling tiles, dangling wires and a pair of flip-flops.

A staffer at the front of the restaurant dialed 911 just before Justin Grimes, 30, came crashing through the restaurant's ceiling and landed on a shocked patron.

"As the manager was on the phone with 911 dispatch, the guy falls through the ceiling on a patron. Unbelievable," police spokesman Jimmie Flynt told WESH-TV.

Police said Grimes was not able to steal any valuables from the manager's office, as the money was securely locked in a safe. They said Grimes entered the restaurant's ceiling from the restroom.

Restaurant patrons held Grimes until police arrived to place him under arrest. He was charged with burglary of an occupied structure.