Safe, cash, iPads taken in two business break-ins on the Santa Barbara Mesa

At least one suspect is sought after two break-ins on the Santa Barbara Mesa Tuesday morning.

They were believed to have taken place about 1:30 a.m.

The targeted businesses were the Mesa Cafe and Fantastic Sams.

Police were called about 6 a.m. after employees of the restaurant saw the damage.

It included two spots on the front glass door with impact points and a shatter zone, but it was not broken out.

Nearby, a smaller window was shattered and employees believe that was the access point.

A safe with a small amount of cash was taken along with iPads used for taking orders.

The bar staff also believes alcohol was consumed.

Santa Barbara Police Public Engagement Officer Anthony Wagner said, “It appears from the evidence collected from the surveillance video that the two events are connected.”

Some of the images were caught by surveillance cameras. The timeline shows the suspect may have been inside about 45 minutes. An alarm did not go off.

A few businesses away, the front door to the Fantastic Sams hair salon was broken out. It is unclear what was taken there, if anything.

Santa Barbara Police have crime scene investigators working the case and reviewing surveillance video.

The restaurant was able to stay open.

“It’s hard to get away with anything in Santa Barbara because everybody has surveillance cameras and the quality and clarity of surveillance cameras have helped us to caputre many suspects,” said Wagner.