The victim in this case, Chef Andre Robinson, has been known to provide food to people in need, and now, Robinson's community is rallying behind him as he recovers from this ordeal.
They're serving orders again at An Artistic Taste in Newburgh, but the electronic payment system is still a work in progress.
Surveillance video shows a burglar behind the bar early Sunday morning, stealing the terminal, a printer, an iPad and the cash register drawer.
"There was only $100 in the cash register," Robinson said. "No one keeps money in the register anymore in restaurants. The hardware and to repair the door is why the costs really add up."
The front door took a beating... literally. The video shows the burglar using a crowbar to force his way in.
Destiny Vargas, the restaurant manager, discovered the damage when she arrived to work.
"I just couldn't understand why. We came here; we've been nothing but supportive to the community. We have a very diverse clientele, so it's just very surprising," Vargas said.
The restaurant, which serves up Jamaican cuisine, opened in July. Robinson says he specifically chose gritty downtown Newburgh for his second location.
"We feed the homeless, we feed the poor. People that lost their SNAP benefits," Robinson said. "We give away free food. We've been doing that twice a week right before Thanksgiving. So, this is the last thing we expected to happen."
As police look to identify and find the suspect, the community has raised $3,000 to help defray most of the loss. Undeterred, Robinson says he'll continue to help those in need.
"To the person that did this, listen... if you want to have a meal on me, come on in," he said. "We can talk about it."
It's a bit of forgiveness in the spirit of the season.
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