SLIDELL, La. — Surveillance video shows a man investigators identified as 25-year-old Malik Morris stealing money from Golden Dragon in Slidell around 4:30 Saturday morning.
Fatty’s Seafood down the street was also hit around 5:15 a.m.
Fatty’s Seafood Restaurant Owner, Pete Amadeo, said he believes Fatty’s was the suspect’s last stop. The restaurant’s alarm went off and Slidell Police were dispatched.
“They didn’t get away with anything thank goodness. Did some damage to the door that they came into,” Amadeo said. “He tried to steal our cash drawers and he was unsuccessful in that because after he cut the cables to try to steal them, the police chased him off.”
St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office said Morris hit four other restaurants in Covington earlier that morning.
Haiku and Misaki told Eyewitness News they were victims.
A Mexican restaurant was also hit and asked not to be identified.
Security footage from Panda Buffet shows the suspect stealing money there shortly before 2 a.m.
St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office Detective, Bill Johnson, believes Morris was familiar with the restaurants.
"The type of business that Mr. Morris was involved in; he frequented a lot of restaurants on their contract for his company to which I guess that's how he cased them out,” Johnson said.
Johnson said Morris was in town for work and admitted to breaking into all six St. Tammany restaurants alone.
“He also admitted to a burglary here in Covington in June which we were still working on at this point,” Johnson said.
Another video from Golden Dragon shows a white box truck being used during the theft.
Deputies spotted the truck Saturday afternoon and tried to pull it over, but the driver refused, leading deputies on a chase.
“There were several vehicles stuck and some injuries reported of some of the drivers. Doesn’t sound like anything was serious at this point,” Johnson said.
Deputies said Morris was driving and later abandoned the vehicle. Shortly after, deputies arrested him after he ran into a nearby neighborhood in Covington.
Amadeo said they’re grateful for law enforcement and community support.
“We’re back to business as usual, and we're happy that the intruder and criminal is off the streets,” Amadeo said.
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