Fresno liquor store hit again in fourth burglary since 2021
A truck and homemade metal tool tore down Meta Liquor’s gate near Shields and Cedar, in the store’s fourth burglary since 2021.
A late-night burglary left Meta Liquor with a shredded security gate, broken glass doors and another round of losses that owner Harpreet Brar says have become part of doing business in central Fresno.
Police said two unidentified men used a Chevrolet Silverado and a homemade metal tool to yank down the store’s gate near Shields Avenue and Cedar Avenue early Monday, May 26, then forced their way inside and stole merchandise before driving off. Officers responded around 4:20 a.m., and surveillance video appeared to show the suspects backing the truck to the storefront before ripping open the barrier.
Brar said it was the fourth break-in at the liquor store since he bought it in November 2021. This time, the thieves took lottery tickets, cigarettes, bottles, lighters and other items, adding to the repair bill from damage to the gate and front doors. For a small business, the cost is not just the inventory that disappears in minutes. It is the metalwork, glass replacement, insurance claims and hours spent dealing with police and repairs.
The repeated targeting of the same corner store also shows how burglary can wear down neighborhood businesses long after the suspects are gone. Meta Liquor was also hit in 2023, when thieves broke into an ATM there after an alarm call, underscoring how the location has stayed on offenders’ radar.
No arrests had been announced in the latest case, even as Fresno police continue building a broader response to repeat theft and burglary. The department has created an organized retail theft task force tied to Proposition 36 funding and said it is working with surrounding agencies to track repeat offenders across jurisdiction lines. Business leaders, law enforcement and the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office discussed the issue at a May 8 town hall at the Fresno Chamber of Commerce.
The pressure is visible in the numbers, too. Fresno County recorded 805 burglaries in one recent annual summary, a reminder that property crime remains a steady drain on merchants and residents alike. At Meta Liquor, the question is not just who broke in, but how many more repairs a single storefront can absorb before the damage becomes permanent.
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