An Israeli-owned kosher restaurant in Southwest Houston was broken into and vandalized in the early morning hours Nov. 7.
At 3:13 a.m., video evidence shows a man breaking in through the ceiling of Taste of Tel Aviv, also known as Pizza TLV, on 9804 Hillcroft St.
The man rummaged through papers, damaged prayer books and eventually broke through the front glass door to leave. He was inside the restaurant for less than 3 minutes.
Pam Baylis, manager and partner of the restaurant, spoke with the JHV as she and her employees cleaned up broken glass and dusted off debris from the ceiling.
Baylis was alerted from her house once the motion detectors went off. She said she called the police and went to the restaurant immediately and was able to see the security footage.
“He cut a hole through asphalt, concrete and an aluminum roof and dropped in, destroying all the wiring and A/C stuff,” Baylis said.
“He was looking for something very specific. What he was looking for, I don’t know, but he did not find it.”
Baylis said no cash was taken, although he left some on the floor when leaving.
Baylis contends the incident was a hate crime and said she was talking with someone in the HPD Hate Crimes Unit.
Later on Tuesday, Houston Police released a statement that said it appears the incident was not motivated by hate.
"It is believed to be the work of a lone individual who was burglarizing the business trying to steal anything of value before fleeing the scene," the statement said.
Baylis, however, disagrees.
"The man left money on the floor. There was a ton of things right there at his fingertips that he could've taken for money, including cash," she said.
“You could tell he was panicking. He started to leave and then wanted to make it look like a robbery so he got the empty cash drawer and took it.”
Baylis told the JHV this is not the first incident that has happened at her restaurant since Hamas terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
On Friday, Oct. 13, Baylis said two women came into the restaurant and asked her if she was Israeli. Baylis told them no and they said, “Oh, it’s your lucky day then” and left.
A similar incident happened to one of the other tenants of the shopping center on Nov. 6, Baylis discovered after the break-in.
“Same thing – they asked if they were Israeli; they said ‘no,’ and then they said, ‘Then I guess it is your lucky day’ and left.”
Baylis said she also has had a bomb threat and suspicious vehicles stop by. She filed a previous police report on those incidents.
Tuesday’s break-in, however, was the first incident that caused physical damage.
While a full assessment has yet to be completed, Baylis said it would all fall on the restaurant, with the landlord not taking any responsibility, and the insurance deductible is so high it won’t help.
“It’s going to cost a small fortune,” she said.
Friends and neighbors have already set up a GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/f/FightingHateWithLove.
Despite the break-in and scare tactics, Baylis is not backing down.
“One way or another, we will be open tomorrow,” Baylis said. “I will dust, clean, mop and we will be open tomorrow.
“I’m not going to cower down to their intimidation or anything else people are trying to do to us.
"I’m aware of my surroundings and what is going on around me, but I’m not going to live in fear, and I don’t believe the community should live in fear.
"If we allow that to happen, they win.”