Benjy Egel
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While police announced Friday the identification of 13 suspects in the VG Cafe burglary from early October, University Police Department (UPD) Chief George Hughes said his officers are now investigating nine more suspects who allegedly broke into the Campus Dining restaurant early in the morning and caused more than $1,000 in damages.
The names of the 13 students identified as suspects in the Oct. 6 burglary of VG Cafe were sent to the San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s office.
Hughes said his staff reviewed surveillance tape, showed pictures of suspects to University Housing officials and conducted interviews to make sure they had the right people. Some subjects admitted to crimes, Hughes said, which the district attorney could now prosecute.
“What we’ve done during this time is pull as many pictures as possible … from the surveillance video, show them to as many people as we could,” Hughes said.
UPD is also investigating nine additional specific students in relation to the break-in. The video showed 81 students entering through an unlocked door, though Hughes said not all the students stole from VG Cafe.
Cal Poly Corporation paid $1,400 in damages from the break-in, not only to replace merchandise but to compensate workers cleaning up the mess.
“There were several items that were pushed about, there was shelving that was pushed over, there were chairs that were pushed over,” Hughes said. “There were several people that went behind into the serving area and took food out, made their own sandwiches, threw things about, that sort of thing.”
Students threw the chairs stacked on tables in the dining area and stole snacks from near the registers, but didn’t go into Sage, the high-end restaurant connected to VG Cafe, Hughes said. No physical damage was done to either eatery.
University spokesperson Matt Lazier wrote in an email to Mustang News that convictions in similar cases often result in probation or expulsion, though financial or service sanctions could be an option.
No students have so far been arrested or charged with crimes.
The Cal Poly Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities has yet to see reports on specific students, Lazier said. Citing student privacy, he said the university will be unable to discuss punishments handed down to individual students.
Hughes thanked an anonymous caller for reporting the break in. Police came to VG Cafe while the burglary was in progress after receiving the call, but were unable to arrest any students.
“There were 81 people who went into this place and chose to enter illegally and do what they did,” Hughes said. “Those people, their behavior and the choices they made that night greatly disappoint me. However, the one person who took on the responsibility to call us, who saw that there was something going on and chose to call the police department, I would like to commend them.”