Someone connected to the cleaning crew at the legacy queer bar SF Eagle allegedly broke in and stole $30,000 in cash and checks early Monday morning, and one arrest has been made while another suspect is still at large.

It's a big punch in the gut to the 43-year-old South of Market leather bar SF Eagle, as KTVU reports that the bar was robbed of nearly $30,000 in an early Monday morning heist at about 4 am. And the bar’s owner recognizes one of the suspects as “the boyfriend of a woman who's part of the cleaning crew,” according to KTVU, as the suspects had keys (or copies of keys) to SF Eagle, as well as a code to disable the alarm.

“On Monday shortly after midnight, the SF Eagle, a historic and beloved LGBTQ+ establishment, was targeted in a burglary that resulted in significant property damage and the theft of a large sum of cash,” the bar said in a Wednesday Instagram post. “Intruders gained unauthorized access. Among the losses were recent bar receipts, employee tips, inventory and equipment.”


The KTVU segment above shows security video of the suspects wheeling out a safe that reportedly contained “up to $25,000 and checks for bartenders.”

"This type of situation is really demoralizing, devastating, really," SF Eagle owner Lex Montiel told the station. As for the suspect he recognized, Montiel told KTVU, “They were related to the cleaning operation, people who previously helped me to do events and things like that.”

KTVU adds that police have arrested 31-year-old Lucas Molina-Hernandez Wednesday on suspicion of burglary and grand theft. The second suspect remains at large.


But the Bay Area Reporter points out this is one of a string of recent burglaries at SoMa LGBTQ bars. Per that outlet, “Targeted businesses included DECANTsf, Oasis, the Stud, Powerhouse, and Mars bar.”

"It angers you, that you could know somebody that has actually done this, versus a complete stranger," SF Eagle manager Randy Maupin told KTVU. "It’s painful, because a lot of businesses are 30, 40 percent down already and now that we’re hitting the slow season, some businesses could be one large break-in from a closure."

To keep that from happening to SF Eagle, the bar has started a GoFundMe. “We are still working out what was stolen, what can be repaired, and what is gone forever,” the GoFundMe says. “In the meantime, we need your help. Right now, we need to cover expenses, pay staff, and keep our doors open for San Francisco's LGBT and Leather communities.”

"With a Sunday Beer Bust fundraiser scheduled for this weekend, we are prioritizing rebuilding so that we can support our queer nonprofits who rely on the SF Eagle Bar to host vital fundraising events," the page adds.

If you have any information on this incident, you’re asked to call the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444, or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with “SFPD.” Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Related: Thieves Swipe ATM From Clooney’s Pub, Then Crash Into SFPD Car [SFist]

Image: Ed U. via Yelp