Local diner asks for public’s help identifying burglar

Late Saturday night, local family owned diner Maelily Ryleigh’s was burglarized. According to surveillance footage, the burglars came once at around 10 pm, and again around 2 am.

Now, armed with multiple images of one of the burglar’s faces, members of the family who owns the popular breakfast spot are asking for the public’s help identifying the perpetrators via Facebook.

Matt Lebel, whose mother in-law, Kathy Geary, owns the diner, posted several of the images on his Facebook page Sunday night with the caption:

“Anyone in the Portland area recognizes this loser let us know. This POS broke into the family cafe last night.”

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As of Monday morning, the images have been shared hundreds of times on Facebook, and Lebel said he’ll be speaking with detectives by the end of the day.

According to Lebel, the burglars came looking for cash the first time, but the register was empty. When they came back the second time, apparently they were more concerned with lining their stomachs than their pockets:

“At 10 pm they were looking for money throughout the register, when they came back they never touched it knowing there wasn’t any there, but they stole steak, soda, ketchup, and steak knives.”

“If anyone recognizes the guy in the pictures, if they could contact the Portland Police Department or myself, it’d be a big help.”

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For anyone with information, the Portland police can be reached at their non-emergency number, 207-874-8584. Or you can text an anonymous tip from your phone by texting “GOTCHA” plus your message to 274637 (CRIMES).

You can also feel free to stop by Maelily Ryleigh’s at 949 Forest Avenue in Portland for some top-notch grub (they might be a little low on steaks for a couple days though, so order the hash).

Corned beef hash and eggs at Maelily Ryleigh's in Portland.

Corned beef hash and eggs at Maelily Ryleigh’s in Portland.

 

Chris Shorr

About Chris Shorr

Chris is a sixth generation Portlander who loves all things Maine. He has worked with mentally ill and marginalized adults at a Portland non-profit, on a lobster boat in Casco Bay, at several high-end Portland restaurants, and at a local meat packing plant. He also ran for Portland City Council in 2013, wrote a weekly column in the now defunct Portland Daily Sun, and currently writes a weekly column in The Portland Phoenix.