String of burglaries occur at 11 restaurants in popular Katy area's Asia Town

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- Eleven businesses in the Katy area's Asiatown have had their windows smashed in at the hands of a burglar for three nights in a row.

BreakTime Tea Lounge, Black Pearl Seafood Bar, Yummy Pho, Bo Ne, Beardpapa Ktown, Ding Tea, Fork It, and Lava Coffee were among the businesses hit near the Katy Freeway and the Grand Parkway.

Tasha Mabry, the owner of Fork It, moved from New York to Texas earlier in 2022 to open her restaurant. It has only been open for 25 days and is already dealing with criminals. Mabry said her shop was burglarized on the first night.

"It's shocking, especially so early in the business," Mabry said. "You are trying to catapult yourself and depend on people to come out and support you. It hurt."

Mabry said the burglar only got away with petty cash, but she was out hundreds of dollars to replace the glass in her door.

"We're family businesses actually, so many people are boot-strapping," Mabry explained. "They are getting loans, or they are getting their families in here to help. It can be crippling, literally."

Many businesses in the center captured the crimes with their surveillance cameras. The man, who they believe to be the same person each night, peers into the business's front window and looks around in the parking lot before throwing a rock through the glass and making his way inside.

Unfortunately, Mabry's cameras were not operating the night Fork It was hit.

"Honestly, I'm kind of glad," she explained. "I don't know if that's weird. When I saw the footage of the neighbors, I had played it out differently. I thought maybe it was kids, but when I saw the act of it. That's what kind of took me over. That was pretty violent."

Gilbert Fung, the owner of the Dimsum Box, said his business had not been broken into yet. Not yet, Fung says, at least because he has been closely watching what was happening at the nearby restaurants.

"We are leaving our lights on," Fung said. "We are trying our hardest to deter."

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said they are aware of the frequent break-ins and would be increasing patrol in the area.

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