Restaurant burglar cooks meal 'like a pro,' cleans up

Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Security cameras were rolling at a New York state restaurant when a burglar took time out from his crime to prepare a meal, eat it and clean up after himself.

Will Colon, manager at Nelly's Tacqueria in Hicksville, on Long Island, said the burglar broke in about 2 a.m. Tuesday and the security cameras recorded him donning gloves and cooking food like an old hand.

"He was working the pot like a pro. He was sifting the food. Shaking it around. Making sure it was heated evenly, distributed evenly," the manager told WABC-TV.

"He was cooking up a storm," Colon told Newsday. "He heated up some beans, he sauteed some chicken and some shrimp. The way he handled that pan, man, the dude had some skills."

The burglar then used a hammer to break open the cash register and take about $100 -- except for $1 that he left in the tip jar.

Colon said the man then washed all of the cooking supplies he used, wiped down the cooking surfaces and even cleaned crumbs off the flood before leaving.

Colon said he reviewed security camera footage and discovered the same burglar had broken in early Monday and took some food without bothering to cook it first.

Nelly Balacios, owner of the eatery, said she was also impressed with the burglar's skills.

"He used the Saran Wrap the way I used Saran Wrap. You know like a pro," she said.