HILLSDALE, New Jersey (AP) -- Police in a New Jersey town say someone broke into a restaurant and cooked a chicken and rice dish before fleeing --leaving behind a pile of dirty dishes.

They say the hungry burglar on Saturday broke through an exhaust fan in the back wall of the Matsu Sushi Grill in Hillsdale, a town of 10,000 residents just north-west of New York City. The burglar got chicken from a freezer and cooked it with rice in a frying pan.

Detective Robert Francaviglia (frank-uh-VIL'-ee-uh) says the burglar ignored $200 in the cash register and took only the chicken and rice. He says the culprit may have been a homeless person searching for food.

Police say the break-in is similar to one at a nearby fried chicken fast-food restaurant last year.