Man reportedly steals tip jar money at Southington Chinese restaurant before robbing pizza parlor

A man was arrested in Southington on Sunday for allegedly stealing cash from a tip jar at a restaurant before threatening employees of another local restaurant with a box cutter during a robbery.

Jonathan Leveille, 38, of Southington faces two counts of sixth-degree larceny and a single count of first-degree robbery in addition to motor vehicle offenses, according to the Southington Police Department.

Officers on Sunday at about 8 p.m. were called to Zheng’s Chinese Restaurant at 2211 Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike on the report of a man stealing cash from the tip jar before he went next door to South Town Apizza and committed a robbery, police said.

Southington police identified Leveille as a suspect and arrested him at his home.

According to police, Leveille entered Zheng’s at about 7:20 p.m., asked for a menu and went back into his vehicle, which was parked in front of the restaurant. When he came back into the restaurant about 20 minutes later, police said, Leveille muttered something, grabbed about $15 from the tip jar and rushed out of the restaurant.

Leveille then went next door to the pizza restaurant, where he reportedly had a box cutter razor blade when he told an employee to give him money, according to police. Leveille ran out of the restaurant after an employee gave him $20, police said.

Witnesses were able to give officers a description of the suspect as well as photos.

Leveille was held on a $155,000 bond following his arrest and is expected to appear in New Britain Superior Court on Tuesday.