WEST RICHLAND, Wash. – Early Tuesday morning, a break-in occurred at Brick House Pizza in West Richland. The incident happened just after 4:00 a.m. when a suspect used a rock to break the front door of the restaurant.
Owner Sam DeBrine said that the intruder was inside for only about 30 seconds before being interrupted.
“He heard the back door closed, and then he bolted out the front door and took off back the way he came,” DeBrine said.
The attempted burglary was stopped when one of the restaurant’s delivery drivers arrived, scaring the intruder.
Nothing was stolen, but the rock used during the break-in caused damage to a nearby cabinet. DeBrine and a few friends arrived at the store by 5:30 a.m. to ensure business operations continued smoothly.
“We cleaned up all the glass spread everywhere, and they helped me put the boards up. We were able to open up regularly and run our regular hours. So, we’ve just been pumping along,” DeBrine said.
The West Richland Police Department is reviewing the security footage, but the intruder’s face was covered in the videos. Despite the incident, DeBrine expressed gratitude for the community’s support.
“Luckily this isn’t going to ruin us,” DeBrine said. “It’s not going to take us down or anything, but just to hear that people care that much. It was very humbling for me and the other owner.”
If anyone has any information on the break-in, call Non-Emergency Dispatch at (509) 628-0333.
