SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
A Sacramento restaurant owner says his business was broken into again early Thursday morning, and he’s frustrated that police never showed up after his alarm went off.
Craig Takehara, owner of Binchoyaki at 10th and W streets, said two people arrived on a motorcycle and drilled through the restaurant’s keyhole. He believes the alarm scared them away.
Takehara said the damage was less extensive than during previous break-ins, including back-to-back incidents in April 2025 that damaged the front of the restaurant.
“It actually wasn’t as bad as before because they didn’t break any windows, but they did drill out the lock, and they ran through the restaurant and tried to find some stuff,” Takehara said.
He said his alarm company told him police would not respond because his alarm permit had expired. He said he later went to the restaurant himself.
“My alarm company called me and said that the police weren’t going to respond unless somebody was there,” Takehara said. “So I said, OK, well, then I’ll go down there. And then the police never responded either, so they never even showed up.”
The Sacramento Police Department was unavailable for an on-camera interview, but confirmed that it received an alarm activation just before 5:15 a.m. Thursday. The department also confirmed that the restaurant is within its jurisdiction.
In a statement to KCRA 3, police said the department handles alarm activations “in accordance with established policies and procedures.”
Sacramento Police did reach back out to KCRA at 5:30 p.m. to say that they are coordinating with the business to have the incident documented in a report.
However, the department did not specifically address why officers did not respond.
“We encourage business owners and community members to report criminal activity, as this information helps us identify patterns and address ongoing public safety concerns,” the department said.
According to the city’s website, business owners with alarm systems that notify police must pay a permit fee. Click here to learn more.
Takehara said the restaurant has been open for 10 years and has been broken into about five times.
“They responded all the other times, but they didn’t respond this time,” he said.
Despite the repeated break-ins, Takehara said he hopes to remain in the historic Japantown area. He also encouraged people to support Binchoyaki and other small businesses by dining out.
“If people don’t stay here and people don’t do things, then it doesn’t get better,” he said. “So we want to try to help make things better and, you know, continue to make good food.”
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Dining and Cooking