ENCINTIAS — The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department arrested a man in connection with an hours-long vandalism and burglary spree on Monday that damaged several Encinitas businesses along Coast Highway 101.
Joshua Jackson, 39, was arrested on Monday on suspicion of burglary and vandalism at Union Kitchen and Tap and Trattoria I Trulli restaurants downtown.
Surveillance footage shows a man throwing chairs and knocking over umbrellas and tables in the restaurant’s outdoor patio seating area. The suspect started stacking the patio chairs in front of the Union entrance, creating an impromptu sidewalk blockade.
After smashing the restaurant’s front windows, the suspect then entered Union Kitchen, where he was seen breaking bottles, destroying furniture and damaging the restaurant’s computer system. The man on the video also wrote “merchant of death” on the inside of the restaurant.
The suspect then moved two blocks north to Trattoria I Trulli, where he was captured on surveillance video smashing glass windows and destroying countless bottles of wine. The suspect also wrote “merchant of death” on a window.
Law enforcement responded to a call about a man acting erratically outside the Italian restaurant and subsequently apprehended Jackson in connection with the incident. Both businesses have sustained tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage, forcing Union to remain closed on Monday.
Union manager Eric Stephenson described the vandal’s actions as similar to those of a “rage room.”
“I’ve seen many different things, but I’ve never seen anything like that,” Stephenson told Fox5.
Both restaurants reopened on Tuesday. The Coast News is still investigating what damage, if any, was sustained at the 7-Eleven on the corner of West D Street and Coast Highway 101.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing, but according to Lt. Nanette McMasters of the Sheriff’s Department, there are no other outstanding suspects, and there is no motive.
No other businesses in the area reported any damages.
Jackson was arraigned on Monday, and his bail was $25,000. He is due to appear in court on May 23.
Check out our Weekly Crime Reports and Daily Arrest Logs for up-to-the-minute arrest reports in North County. Read more local crime news here or visit the San Diego County Sheriff’s website.
