The day after the San Fernando Brewing Company was honored by both the California State Assembly and the San Fernando Chamber of Commerce for its contributions to the city, staff are picking up the pieces after thieves broke in, stealing cash and merchandise.
The theft occurred the morning of Aug. 21 around 5 a.m. when four masked individuals arrived in two vehicles, one of them an SUV, and broke in through the back door using crowbars and power tools. The suspects stole all the safe and all the cash on hand, leaving a few minutes later.
“It’s unfortunate what happened,” said Joe Chouchachian, the owner of San Fernando Brewing, which opened 10 years ago. “We’re not going to change what we do. … Luckily, it’s only monetary stuff. Nobody got hurt.
“Hopefully this doesn’t deter anyone from coming out because our whole thing is that we’re all part of the community,” he continued. “The City of San Fernando is small, so we got to stick together and get the word out so it doesn’t happen to anybody else.”
Despite the robbery, San Fernando Brewing is still open for business.
Anybody with knowledge that could lead to the suspects are encouraged to contact the San Fernando Police Department through the nonemergency line at (818) 898-1267.