A Masked Figure and a Safe Full of Singles
Surveillance cameras inside a San Diego strip club captured an unusually targeted burglary: a masked thief who kicked his way in around 5 a.m. on a Monday, walked straight to the safe, and left carrying $25,300 in $1 bills. The club’s owner says the route through the building tells the story by itself.
Dino Palmiotto owns Expose, a gentlemen’s club in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood. After the break-in he shared the security footage, which shows the intruder moving through the venue without hesitation. “He then kicked the door multiple times,” Palmiotto told FOX 5. To the owner, the direct path to the cash meant the criminal “knew exactly where to go” for the big wad of cash, and he noted the man was on the phone with someone during the visit.
An Alarm Code From the Past
The burglary might have stayed quiet, but the alarm system did not. “The alarm system went off, so the alarm company contacted me,” the owner said. “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.”
Each staffer allowed near the safe, Palmiotto said, is given an individual code. He did not recognize the man on the video, but the code that opened the way had previously belonged to a past manager of the club. That detail turned a routine burglary report into an accusation of an inside job.
Charges and a Reward
Palmiotto, who describes himself as a former Marine, says he intends to see the matter through. “As a small business owner and former Marine, there would be no way that we can let this go.” A $5,000 reward is on the table for tips that produce an arrest.
The former manager is already in his sights. “We are pursuing criminal and civil charges against the former manager who provided the alarm, office and safe codes,” Palmiotto said. He added that he has not been contacted by San Diego police about the incident, though the department, when asked, said an investigation is currently underway and offered no further details.
The owner, 33 years in the business, said the community response has been unlike anything he has seen. “Customers are coming in the club saying they are there to support the club after learning what happened,” he said. Since the theft, he has also upgraded the venue’s security in several ways.
