A Bonsall restaurant built as a tribute to a fallen North County firefighter has been burglarized twice since summer, and investigators believe the same man broke in both times. No arrests have been made, and the Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation says the investigation remains ongoing.
The first break-in at Backdraft Bar & Grill, located in the 5500 block of Mission Road in Bonsall, happened just before 1 a.m. on July 11, according to Village News. A suspect got into the restaurant's locked back patio area, ripped security cameras down and tried to pry an 80-inch television off the wall, causing roughly $300 in damage. Surveillance video captured a male suspect who appeared to be either Hispanic or white, wearing black-and-white Vans shoes with white laces, dark jeans and a black t-shirt.
Soda lines were also severed in connection with the break-ins, according to News Flash Insider. The outlet reported the suspect wore a shirt reading “007 License to Fade,” had visible arm tattoos, and was seen near a work truck at the time — details that go beyond what deputies initially released.
A Second Break-In Two Months Later
The same location was targeted again just after midnight on September 25, this time with the suspect stealing roughly $950 worth of miscellaneous restaurant supplies after again accessing the locked patio area, per the same account from Village News. During that break-in, the suspect wore camouflage pants, the same style black-and-white Vans with white laces, and a maroon-and-black motorcycle-style jacket bearing a large “Riding Legends Motors” logo on the back. He loaded items into a black trash bag before leaving the property.
News Flash Insider's review of footage tied the second incident to a different getaway method than the first — a sedan and a skateboard, compared to the work truck seen in July. Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation detectives say they believe the same suspect is responsible for both burglaries based on video evidence, the report's core claim according to Village News.
A Restaurant Built in a Firefighter's Memory
Backdraft Bar & Grill isn't just another North County eatery. It was opened by Angelique and Chris McInerny as a tribute to Chris's brother, Storm McInerny, a 32-year veteran firefighter and Palomar College paramedic instructor who died before he could realize his own dream of opening the restaurant, according to Backdraft Bar & Grill. Profits from the restaurant's apparel merchandise go toward a scholarship fund for aspiring first responders.
The restaurant, at 5525 Mission Road, Suite F, also functions as something of a community hub in Bonsall. Its back patio — the same area targeted in both burglaries — regularly hosts the Bonsall Chamber of Commerce's monthly “Connections & Cocktails” networking mixers, according to an Eventbrite listing for the events.
Deputies Ask Public for Help Identifying Suspect
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department formally requested public assistance identifying the burglary suspect in a news release issued Tuesday through Sergeant Chris Mittler of the Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Anyone with information is asked to call the Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation at (760) 451-3100, or the San Diego County Sheriff's Office at (858) 868-3200 to report a crime. Callers should dial 9-1-1 in an emergency.
The Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation leading the investigation is the sheriff's office's largest substation, covering 137 square miles of unincorporated territory that includes Fallbrook, Bonsall, Rainbow and De Luz. In 2025 alone, deputies assigned to that command responded to 10,182 calls for service across the sprawling rural and semi-rural district, per the sheriff's department.
What Charges Could the Suspect Face
Under California Penal Code Section 459, commercial burglary involves entering a business or non-residential structure with intent to commit theft or any felony once inside, according to the Shouse Law Group. The offense is classified as a “wobbler” in California, meaning prosecutors can pursue either a misdemeanor carrying up to a year in county jail or a felony carrying up to three years in custody, depending on the suspect's record and the value of what's taken.
The roughly $950 in stolen supplies from the September incident sits right at the threshold California's Proposition 47 set for misdemeanor shoplifting under Penal Code 459.5. But because the suspect allegedly entered a locked patio outside business hours in both incidents, the offenses qualify as second-degree commercial burglary regardless of item value, according to the Los Angeles County Criminal Lawyers LA Defense Team.
Coordinated crackdowns on North County property crime aren't new for the substation. Back in September 2017, the Fallbrook Sheriff's Substation spearheaded “Operation Double Down,” a multi-agency sweep in Bonsall and Fallbrook that recovered stolen property linked to at least 13 regional burglaries, according to the Times of San Diego. For now, detectives are relying on the public's help and the distinctive clothing and vehicles caught on camera to run down the person responsible for hitting Backdraft twice.
