Teaspoon, a boba shop located in Modesto’s Pelandale Plaza, was targeted in a burglary on Christmas Day, resulting in approximately $5,000 in losses. The incident occurred when employee Emma Goodwin arrived at the store around 10:30 a.m. and discovered the key lock box missing from the door. After consulting with owner Quynh Nguyen, who was out of the country at the time, Goodwin and landlord Brian Dole entered the store but did not initially notice anything suspicious.
Nguyen recounted that shortly after deciding to keep the store closed for safety reasons, “Maybe half an hour later, two guys opened the door, came in the store and they took the safe and the cash box at the register.” The alarm system activated within a minute, prompting police response. Officers initially suspected an employee might be involved due to no signs of forced entry.
However, surveillance footage reviewed by Nguyen showed two unknown men committing the burglary. She then reported this information to the Modesto Police Department. According to Nguyen, “When we talked to the dispatcher, they said that it looks like those two guys were busy, because several stores in Riverbank reported break-ins as well.” Authorities have not confirmed if these incidents are connected.
In addition to stolen cash and property damage—including a damaged point-of-sale system—Nguyen said extra labor was required for cleanup and order processing while awaiting new equipment. Nearby businesses also experienced related incidents; Poke Bowl had its lock cut but suspects did not enter, though there was another attempted burglary there earlier in November. Thai Buri restaurant was broken into on December 26 with items such as a cash register and coins taken.
Following these events and previous attempts at neighboring stores, Vintage Properties has increased security patrols during nighttime hours at Pelandale Plaza. Nguyen stated plans for further preventive measures: “There’s nothing really they can do other than increase security,” she said. “We’re also going to install more outside cameras.” Additionally, Teaspoon will stop using a key lock box on its door; employees will now receive individual keys.
No suspects have been identified so far. Surveillance footage indicated that those involved drove a dark blue Honda CRV. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Modesto Police Department at 209-552-2470.
