Springfield restaurant owner says teens ransacked his business

Published: Apr. 24, 2023 at 8:23 PM CDT
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - A Springfield business was ransacked by teenagers Sunday and it’s all caught on camera.

John Link asked, “Are you serious?”

He works at the Pita Pit restaurant on Battlefield Road in Springfield. He says he was just getting off work when a group of what he describes as teens showed up.

“I had actually seen them coming into the store right before I left. I didn’t think anything was going to happen. I thought they were just coming to get some food,” said Link.

It turns out they weren’t there to grab a bite.

Link says that a few minutes later his coworker called him for help.

“There are four guys in here. You don’t know what they’re trying to do, what they’re going to do if they have weapons or not. I was just worried for his safety,” he said.

As Link arrived at the store he says he saw chaos. The store’s surveillance cameras catch it all.

“They’re coming behind the counter. One of the guys picked up a broom and started sweeping the floor. Another guy tried to make his own food on our grill,” he said. “One of the guys who tried to fight me started walking back up to our register area. He grabbed some of our chips and just tossed them in the air. Then he started walking out, slapped some of our chairs over, and took off running.”

Link says although the damage was minimal he knows the incident could have been worse.

“That’s not how you should live life. There are things that you should do and things that you shouldn’t do. This is definitely one of those things that shouldn’t have happened,”

Springfield Police are investigating this crime as trespassing. Anyone with information is urged to call them.

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