Man with 31 convictions nabbed for restaurant burglary

One of Spokane’s most prolific thieves has been arrested again - this time for burglarizing the popular Chaps Diner and Bakery. Police suspect Christopher J. Cannata, 42, learned that the restaurant owners would be out of town in late February and burglarized their businesses. He has 31 felony convictions for crimes including burglary and theft. Cannata has been featured in news stories about people considered “frequent fliers” because of their criminal proclivities. Cannata was behind the Christmas Eve burglary of the North Division Bike Shop in 2013. Before that it was a car theft. Police Chief Frank Straub once called Cannata and other prolific burglars “problem children.” In the Chaps restaurant case, police reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed people that led to Cannata, according to a press release. Police released a 30-minute segment of the video Wednesday in the hopes that someone knows the identity of the second person shown in the footage. The burglary upset customers, who poured into the diner following the break-in to support owner Celeste Shaw. They also came for breakfast and Shaw’s delectable scones. They left flowers, cards and the kind of goodwill that served as a poignant counterweight to the crime.