Early this morning, DC police apprehended and charged a suspect who allegedly smashed windows and/or stole liquor from at least three Capitol Hill businesses. The suspect, whose name will be released later today, was arrested at On the Rocks nightclub on H Street after breaking the front window with a large rock and stealing Don Julio tequila and Bulleit bourbon. A spokesperson for MPD says the burglary is connected to a Tuesday incident at Bar Bullfrog, which suffered damage, as well as Capitol Supermarket convenience store where wine and cigarettes were stolen. No injuries were reported.
The individual has not been connected to a Tuesday burglary at H Street’s Dio Wine Bar, where someone smashed windows and stole $2,000 worth of inventory. Owner Stacey Khoury-Diaz reported an attempted break-in early Friday morning. She shared a security video with Washingtonian depicting an individual in a face mask throwing a hard object at the natural wine bar’s door. He failed to open it and walked off. Khoury-Diaz says she plans to board up the windows, which were just repaired after Tuesday’s break-in, as soon as possible.
“We can’t afford for this to keep happening. It’s not the financial toll, it’s he emotional toll. Everyone is nervous. If boards make my staff feel better, I’m going to do it,” says Khoury-Diaz.
Like many bars, Dio transitioned to a bottle shop after Mayor Muriel Bowser closed businesses for on-premise consumption last month. Khoury-Diaz plans to keep pickup and delivery business going, and says she’s considering working with local artists or decorating the boards to signal that Dio is still open for business.
Other Capitol Hill food and beverage establishments have also experienced incidents this week. Eater DC reports that windows were smashed at Belga Cafe and Chat’s Liquors on Barracks Row. Ethiopic on H Street also suffered window damage on Wednesday but nothing was stolen. The incidents come as joblessness soars during the health crisis. In DC, over 66,000 people have filed for unemployment.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
