Tierrasanta Community Rallies to Support Newly Opened Restaurant After Devastating Burglary

SAN DIEGO, CA — The community of Tierrasanta is rallying behind the owners of a newly opened family restaurant after a devastating commercial burglary threatened to shut its doors just weeks after its grand opening.

Tutuli Mexican Eatery, located on Tierrasanta Boulevard and owned by the Ochoa family, was burglarized in the early morning hours of Saturday, November 30, 2024. The suspects smashed through the front of the restaurant, causing extensive property damage, and managed to break into the establishment's safe, stealing approximately $6,000 in cash. The financial loss was a major blow to the eatery, which had only been open for three weeks.

Fearing the business might not survive the setback, the owners were stunned by the immediate response from the local community. On Small Business Saturday, lines stretched out the door as hundreds of Tierrasanta residents arrived to purchase food, donate money, and show solidarity with the family. The overwhelming support has given the owners the financial and emotional boost needed to stay open.

The burglary at Tutuli Mexican Eatery was part of a larger wave of restaurant break-ins that occurred throughout Tierrasanta in November 2024, including incidents at Round Table Pizza, Dairy Queen, Sangucheria Peruvian Street Food, and Tierrasanta Mexican Food. San Diego Police later arrested 33-year-old Robert Coleman Jr., charging him with a series of commercial burglaries across the region.

Local residents are encouraged to continue supporting independent businesses as they recover from this wave of property crime.