Restaurant thief caught on camera

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) - It took just two minutes for a thief to get away with $1,000 worth of restaurant equipment, but the Chesapeake business caught it all on camera.

It happened just after 6 a.m. Saturday at the Cotton Southern Bistro off Grassfield Parkway.

Employees at the Cotton Southern Bistro were getting ready for their first guests, when an unexpected one pulled up behind the building in a pick up truck.

"It's 6:13 in the morning," said owner Jeff Brown, pointing at the surveillance video. "You'll see him come in on the left side of the screen here."

A man wearing a tank top and a backward hat arrives in a black pick up.

The man stole a ladder, a pressure washer, anti-fatigue mats and the all important smoker.

"That's what we smoke our barbecue with," said Brown. "Our ribs, our turkey...that's part of the magic."

But before the thief took off, he paused one last time and got out of the truck. He saw something he couldn't leave without, mops, deck brushes and even the mop bucket.

It's a steal so strange Brown almost finds it comical.

"He was just relaxed," said Brown. "Like it was an every day duty for him. He was just loading up like he was going to the grocery store."

As the truck pulls away, the infrared camera mechanism turns off, showing the thief and the truck in their true colors. Brown hopes it's enough to make someone recognize the mystery man.

"Hopefully we'll get our stuff back," he said. "That'll be great."

If you have any information about this case, call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.