A burglar smashed through a bathroom window at Luna Restaurant on Grove Street in Jersey City, hauled a safe out of the office and then broke out through the front door to make his escape. At More Asian Bistro next door, the kitchen area was ransacked and roughly $200 was missing from the cash register. New Jersey police are now searching for the suspect, who was caught on surveillance camera during both break-ins.
According to ABC7 New York, the thief got into Luna through the bathroom window before stealing the safe from an office and exiting by breaking through the front door. The safe reportedly remained locked even after its combination was damaged, and investigators estimated it weighed somewhere between 50 and 100 pounds — not exactly something you can tuck under an arm and stroll away with unnoticed.
Luna owner Julian Muscio released the surveillance footage himself, hoping to put other business owners and residents on alert. He told the outlet the burglar “moved fast” and seemed to “put two and two together” almost instantly, adding, “It seems like it wasn't his first rodeo.”
Cash Register Hit Next Door at More Asian Bistro
At More Asian Bistro, the burglar squeezed in through a small window and rummaged through the kitchen area before emptying the cash register of an estimated $200, per the same report. The manager there voiced particular alarm that the break-ins happened directly across the street from City Hall — hardly the kind of spot where you'd expect a burglar to feel comfortable working.
Both restaurants were left in disarray following the break-ins, and detectives searched the scene for additional evidence, the station's report notes. Muscio has urged business owners and homeowners in the area to stay vigilant in the meantime.
A separate account from News 12 described the Luna break-in as a weekend incident that ended with a shattered window and a stolen safe, reporting that the suspect removed the entire safe from the premises after being unable to force it open on site. That outlet referred to the neighboring business as More Express rather than More Asian Bistro, and reported that local detectives continued reviewing surveillance footage to try to identify the suspect.
No Arrests as Investigation Continues
Police have not announced any arrests, and the investigation remains ongoing, according to ABC7 New York. The discrepancy over the neighboring business's exact name underscores how early and fluid this investigation still is, even as both restaurants work to recover from the damage.
Jersey City's own IMPACT dashboard has reported 361 burglaries so far in 2026, down 24 percent from 475 over the same period in 2025, though that figure comes from weaker snippet-level data tied to a city audit of JCPD's reporting practices and should be treated cautiously. For now, the focus in this case remains squarely on identifying the person seen on camera at the two restaurants and walking away with a safe estimated to weigh between 50 and 100 pounds.
