Thieves Raid Livermore Eatery After Wildfire Shutdown

When the Little Fire blazed through Alameda County last week, Da Boccery – a bar‑restaurant known for its golf simulators, axe‑throwing lanes and arcade games – made the prudent decision to shut its doors early on Tuesday. Safety of staff and guests, the owners said, was the top priority.

What the team didn’t expect was that the emergency would also attract a very different kind of intruder. At about 7:30 p.m. the next evening, someone cut the bolt on the back gate, pried it open and made off with a case of the restaurant’s prized burgers and a slab of tri‑tip.

According to general manager Mitchell Bryant, the opportunists weren’t satisfied with a single haul. Around 10:30 p.m. a second person – described as a friend of the first – returned to nab four more cases of burgers, some strips of bacon and a few blocks of cheese. All together the stolen goods were valued at just under $1,000.

“We’re still trying to process the fact that after a fire we’ve got to deal with this,” Bryant told CBS. He added, with a wry smile, that he hoped the culprits were simply trying to feed a family, though the loss still feels like a slap in the face after the community’s recent hardships.

The theft is being treated as a felony; in California any stolen property exceeding $950 qualifies as grand theft. Livermore Police have opened an investigation and are reviewing surveillance footage, hoping to identify the suspects before they disappear into the night.

Da Boccery isn’t the only local eatery that had to scramble its hours because of the Little Fire, which has scorched more than 1,000 acres and is now about 85 % contained. One firefighter was injured in the blaze, underscoring the ongoing danger in the area.

In a state where food costs are already high, the incident highlights a strange new frontier of crime – stealing high‑value grocery items from businesses forced to close. Even supermarkets are fighting back; a San Jose grocer recently began encasing ground beef in wire cages to deter shoplifters.

For now, Da Boccery’s staff are regrouping, replenishing their kitchen supplies and hoping the next surprise they encounter is a surge of supportive customers rather than another break‑in.