According to ABC7 News, two armed robbers with an automatic handgun entered the clothing boutique on the 1100 block of South Main Street around 5 p.m. on May 10 and assaulted Franky Salerno, the boutique’s owner. They repeatedly struck Salerno in the head with the handgun until he collapsed to the floor, bleeding.
The two men continued to beat him despite his cries of pain and went on to assault another man who entered the store shortly afterward. This man also fell to the floor and lost consciousness due to the continued beating.
The brutal attack by the two suspects was caught on surveillance cameras inside the business. The footage even shows the victims’ blood smearing across the floor. After stealing Salerno’s watch, bracelet, and chain, the attackers fled the scene in a sedan parked outside the store.
After being rushed to the hospital, Salerno suffered multiple fractures to his skull, nose, and finger. He has several staples on his scalp after being hit multiple times with a gun. His hospital bills alone were reportedly more than $10,000.
Salerno’s family and girlfriend were shocked that the attack took place in the middle of downtown in broad daylight.
“It’s not just a regular robbery, they almost killed him. Literally almost killed him. He’s lucky he doesn’t have any brain damage,” his girlfriend Ivana Octaviani said. “I went to the store on Thursday when the police were there, saw so much blood on the floor. I don’t even want to walk in.”
Salerno, who is recovering at home after being released from the hospital, is still in shock and says he has no intention of reopening the store. As of 5 p.m. on May 16, 177 people, including L.A. residents, had raised $11,320 for Salerno’s medical expenses on his GoFundMe page.
This robbery took place two blocks away from where Doo Young Lee, 56, was killed on Oct. 1 of last year. Lee, who owned a wig shop in Maple Center near Olympic Blvd. and Maple St., was stabbed to death in the street while trying to stop two teenagers from a robbery attempt.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Fashion District employees and Korean-owned business owners criticized the lack of law enforcement in the area. “The police don’t even respond even when we report cases of theft,” said one business owner.
Crosstown, an online media outlet, reported that shoplifting is the most prevalent type of crime in the Fashion District.
Korean-Americans, as well as other Fashion District workers, have been complaining about various crimes in the area and asking the city to strengthen security, but improvements have been meager.
“There are a lot of clothing boutiques that have already set up shop on Main and Maple St., so Korean-owned wholesale businesses aren’t very close to it,” said an official from the Korean American Apparel Manufacturers Association (KAMA), adding, “I don’t think security patrols are being strengthened [even after violent crime incidents]. Korean-owned wholesale businesses are taking their business online rather than doing it in-person.”
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM [support@koreadaily.com]
