Laurel police seek suspects after burglary spree hits four Town Centre restaurants

Four restaurants at Town Centre at Laurel were hit in one early-morning burglary spree, and Laurel police want help identifying the white Honda Accord seen in surveillance footage. Investigators say the images show two people getting out of the car and forcing their way into a business, while at least one other person appears to move the vehicle to help with the getaway.

The break-ins targeted BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen, Buffalo Wild Wings and Sarku Japanese restaurant in the shopping center on Baltimore Avenue in Laurel. Police said the group used a pickaxe to get inside, then stole cash boxes and one safe before leaving with more than $5,000.

For Buffalo Wild Wings, the loss went beyond the money taken. Manager Miguel McBean said thieves took two cash registers that did not even have cash inside them and tried to get into an office, but did not make it in. That kind of damage can mean broken doors, repairs, insurance claims and lost time for restaurants that depend on a fast reopening.

The burglary spree also landed in a place that draws heavy traffic and steady foot traffic. Town Centre Laurel is a 392,500-square-foot mixed-use property at 14708 Baltimore Avenue, and its owner says it drew about 4.4 million visits in 2024. The center sits along a corridor that averaged 39,500 vehicles a day on Baltimore Avenue and 19,726 on Cherry Lane, numbers that help explain why a cluster of overnight break-ins can ripple through workers, diners and nearby businesses so quickly.

A customer, Jimmy Mayo, told DC News Now the smash-and-grab was scary and alarming and could slow progress in the area. Police also said the same style of burglary appears to have hit additional businesses in Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County, raising the possibility that investigators are looking at a wider pattern rather than a single hit.

Laurel police are asking anyone who recognizes the suspects, the white Honda Accord or any part of the sequence to contact detectives at 301-498-0092 or by email at LPDtips@laurel.md.us. The department also maintains an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Nextdoor as investigators work to identify the crew behind the spree.