Amid a spate of burglaries in Southern California, Korean American businesses are among the latest victims.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported a burglary at Health Nut, a Korean American-owned salad bar located in Sherman Oaks, San Fernando Valley, North Los Angeles. The incident, which occurred at approximately 2:45 a.m. on August 28, involved two suspects breaking the glass door to access the premises. They subsequently stole a safe and fled.
Chris Kim, the store’s manager, recounted to NBC News on August 29, “I believe they were specifically targeting the safe.” Kim emphasized that thefts, burglaries, and other forms of retail crimes are becoming increasingly prevalent.
Owned by Korean American Steve Choi, Health Nut has been in operation since 2016. It boasts branches in Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks, and Manhattan Beach.
In Orange County, a Korean American-owned bridal shop was another target. Arriving on August 15, the owner was dismayed to find her shop’s windows shattered. She revealed to the Korea Daily on August 29, while choosing to remain anonymous, that the burglars had stolen around $1,000 in cash, luxury bags, and, alarmingly, contracts from clients who had rented wedding dresses.”
Footage from security cameras outside the shop revealed a face-concealed suspect committing the crime. The video indicated that the individual, suspected to be of Asian descent, shattered the storefront at about 1:30 a.m. before fleeing with the cash and contracts.
The owner lamented the challenges of tracking down clients who had already rented dresses or made reservations. Due to the stolen contracts, which contained details of future appointments, the shop struggles with new client inquiries. As of now, they have managed to recover approximately 65% of their client contract information.
“The theft might result in a loss amounting to tens of thousands in future bookings,” she mentioned. She further advised fellow business owners to bolster security measures, including window grills and alarm systems.
Subsequent to these incidents, at 4:27 a.m. on August 28, LA Fitness in NoHo West Plaza reported a break-in. The intruder made off with items after breaking a window.
Soon after, at 6:51 a.m., IceLink, a jewelry store in the same plaza, reported a burglary conducted in a similar manner.
Highlighting the proximity of Health Nut to Noho West Plaza, a police representative shared, “We’re examining if there’s a connection between the three burglaries, all of which transpired on the same day.”
On a brighter note, many of the affected businesses, including Health Nut, remain open for business.
BY HYOUNGJAE KIM, YEJIN KIM
[kim.ian@koreadaily.com, kim.yejin3@koreadaily.com]
