A strip club owner in San Diego is offering a $5,000 reward after a thief made off with over $25,000 in single-dollar bills. The owner, Dino Palmiotto, believes the burglary, which occurred around 5 a.m. on a Monday at his establishment, Expose in Kearny Mesa, was an inside job.
Surveillance footage shows the masked suspect breaking into the club and proceeding directly to the room containing the safe. Palmiotto reported that the thief stole $25,300 in total. The owner noted that the suspect appeared to know exactly where to go to access the cash and was on the phone with someone while inside the club.
"He then kicked the door multiple times," Palmiotto told FOX 5. Video from the club shows the suspect navigating the premises before reaching the safe.
Palmiotto stated that each staff member has a unique code for the safe. While he did not recognize the thief from the footage, he noted that the alarm code used during the incident was previously associated with a former manager of the club. The alarm company alerted Palmiotto after the system was triggered.
"The alarm system went off, so the alarm company contacted me," Palmiotto explained. "We went ahead and dispatched, and the reason why we dispatched was because a former employee that used to work here, his alarm code was used."
Following the incident, Palmiotto has enhanced security measures at the club. He is also pursuing both criminal and civil charges against the former manager who allegedly provided the alarm, office, and safe codes. Palmiotto, a former Marine, expressed his determination to prevent future incidents, stating, "As a small business owner and former Marine, there would be no way that we can let this go. We’ve got to stop these people."
San Diego Police Department confirmed that an investigation into the burglary is underway, though Palmiotto had not yet been contacted by the department directly. The owner has also observed a strong community response, with customers visiting the club to offer support after learning about the theft.