Police Investigate Break-in at Tinga Taqueria

The owner of Tinga Restaurant reported to police that sometime between January and May, while the restaurant has been closed for major renovations, someone broke in and took items with a total value of more than $3,000.

The restaurant has been closed since the , it out and of mud in the basement. Owner David Fishman told police that he discovered two refrigerator blowers, four burrito steamers and two stainless steel shelving units were missing from the restaurant on May 2.

Fishman has said that he plans to open the restaurant as soon as possible and in March told Patch he hoped to open in April. He said he had to halt work on the restaurant while waiting for payment from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Last week, the landlord of the building on Millburn Avenue, where Tinga is located, said he was told the restaurant would re-open in a couple of weeks. And an employee at the Montclair restaurant said they hope to open soon but don’t know which day yet and did not comment as to whether the thefts would slow down the re-opening.

Fishman could not be reached for comment this morning, but the police report says that he told police he would provide a list of the contractors for the restaurant for police to see if they could provide any information.