VIDEO: 'Serial dine-and-dasher' arrested after targeting South Bay restaurants

CAMPBELL, Calif. (KGO) -- A "serial dine-and-dasher" in the South Bay was arrested after a restaurant caught him in the act.

The restaurant owner says that over two months, the man ate and drank large amounts sushi and alcohol without paying.

"It's a minimum of five or $600 and it may be up towards $1,000 when we're pulling additional receipts," said Randy Musterer, owner of Sushi Confidential.

Musterer said the suspect had done this at least three times between the Campbell and San Jose locations. Musterer had a picture of the man for staff to see in the back area along with receipts of the tabs he left behind.

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"He always orders multiple beers, multiple food items," Musterer said.

Things changed though, when the suspect tried to dine and dash for a fourth time Sunday at the Campbell location.

Musterer said he got a call from his employees that the man had returned. To make sure that this was in fact the same man, they made a plan.

"When you bring him his second round of food, drop the check and tell him that you as the server, you have to close out so that maybe we can speed up that process," Musterer said he told the employee serving the man.

The video shows that the server stays there waiting for the man to pay. That man instead asks to use the restroom.

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"He acts like he's going to the bathroom and then immediately, starts to come out the backdoor and then that's when he's greeted by our busser who prevents him really from going any further and then that's when he turned back in," Musterer said.

For safety of staff and customers, Musterer told the workers to avoid any physical interaction with the man, so he bolted back through the restaurant and out the front door.

By now, Musterer said he and Campbell PD were chasing after the suspect but couldn't find him and initially gave up- that was until Musterer thought he spotted him again.

"I make a U-turn, and it was him," he said.

Musterer called PD who made an arrest. A relief for him but, and also neighboring businesses.

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"I'm thrilled that somebody was caught," said Deb Rohzen, owner of Simply Smashing, "The more of that, the better. It's a common problem for all of us."

ABC7 News reached out to Campbell PD who said the suspect lives in Campbell.

He was cited and released and expected to appear in court where they say the Santa Clara County DA may combine both the dine and dash cases in both Campbell and San Jose for steeper penalties.

Musterer hopes the arrest serves as a lesson to the suspect and others.

"It is harming small businesses. It's harming all of our employees. And there's security issues with all of this in general," he said. "We just hope that no one wants to steal from others."