A masked thief slipped into Expose Gentlemen’s Club in Kearny Mesa early Monday and walked out with roughly $25,300 in one-dollar bills, according to the club’s owner. Surveillance video shows the intruder moving through the building into a back room where a safe was kept, then leaving with stacks of cash. San Diego police say an investigation is underway.
Dino Palmiotto, who owns Expose, told the New York Post that his alarm company called after the system was tripped and that the code used to open the safe had previously been assigned to a former manager. Each staff member with access to the safe has a unique code, he said. Palmiotto is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and added that the thief kicked one of the doors multiple times before getting into the room with the safe.
Cash-heavy businesses are frequent targets, and local records show property theft is a stubborn problem in parts of the city. Property and burglary datasets maintained by the City of San Diego open-data portal show recurring incidents that can make recovery difficult for small operators. Palmiotto’s account also highlights the stakes of internal safeguards and who has access to alarm and safe codes.
Police Reviewing Video as Owner Eyes Possible Inside Help
The San Diego Police Department has confirmed an active investigation into the break-in, and Palmiotto says he plans to pursue civil and criminal charges against a former manager he believes supplied the code used in the heist, according to the New York Post. No arrests have been announced, and authorities have not publicly identified a suspect beyond surveillance images described by the owner and local outlets. Detectives are reviewing the club’s video and following up on leads.
Legal Implications
Palmiotto says he intends to seek both criminal and civil remedies if investigators determine there was inside involvement. Cases like this typically hinge on whether prosecutors can directly connect someone to the theft or to aiding the break-in. For now, the club is focused on recovering the missing cash and encouraging tips that might help police track down the suspect. The owner’s $5,000 reward is aimed at shaking loose information that could lead to an arrest.
