Staff writer
La Hacienda Mexican Grill will be closed for several weeks after Marion police discovered it “ransacked” Oct. 14.
Officer Duane McCarty investigated at approximately 1:30 p.m. after receiving a report of the business’s front door left ajar.
“When I went inside it looked like someone had ransacked or vandalized the place,” McCarty said.
A car tire, a Budweiser sign, boards, and multiple menus, were some of the items he observed scattered on the restaurant’s floor.
The interior’s unusual appearance, paired with rumors the eatery was to be closed, led McCarty to investigate the incident as a possible break-in, he said.
Unsure if anyone was in the building, he called police chief Tyler Mermis for backup, but their search revealed no one on the premises.
When he called Emporia’s La Hacienda, McCarty said restaurant officials told him “they knew about the stuff on the floor” and an employee was headed to Marion.
Kansas Department of Agriculture was contacted for a food service inspection “just to be on the safe side” because of health concerns raised by the state of the restaurant during investigation, McCarty said.
The owner of the restaurant and president of the La Hacienda corporation, Juan Ramirez, said “nothing bad happened.”
Marion’s La Hacienda will open again in about three weeks after some cleaning and repairs, he said.
Patrons can expect to see a few menu and personnel changes.
“When we reopen, we will have a different manager,” Ramirez said. “If we can’t find one by then, I’ll run it myself.”