More than ten businesses, including several Korean-owned shops in LA’s Fashion District, have fallen victim to a well-planned burglary. The suspects reportedly disabled security systems, including surveillance cameras, and broke through walls to carry out the crime.
The recent wave of burglaries in Southern California has affected a variety of locations, including homes, convenience stores, and pharmacies.
Local news outlets such as KTLA and ABC7 reported on August 26 that 16 businesses located in the American Garment Center Mall within the LA Fashion District were burglarized over the weekend.
The burglary is believed to have occurred around 1 a.m. on August 25th. Im Kang, a Korean business owner who suffered losses, stated, “We’ve never had it this bad, the crime. It keeps getting bigger and bigger and we need to solve this problem as soon as possible.”
Kang explained that the burglars spent hours hacking through the walls, sifting through documents and stealing cash, checks, computers and personal property. “This has been ongoing for five to seven years in this area and we’re just really sick of it,” Kang said.
It is estimated that Kang incurred $10,000 in financial losses.
The suspects appeared to have targeted more than ten businesses, exploiting the fact that many market shops close on weekends. The burglars used the easily breakable drywall material that separates the stores, drilling through the walls and moving from one business to another throughout the night.
KTLA reported that the suspects dismantled alarm systems and disabled surveillance cameras before stealing items, office equipment, and cash from each business. The total damage is estimated to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. The report also noted that police responded to a noise complaint from the area in the early hours of that morning.
Business owners, frustrated by the ongoing crime, have expressed dissatisfaction with the authorities. In March, jewelry stores on Santee Street were also targeted by burglars who tunneled in, leaving local business owners in fear.
Brandon Bello, whose parents own B.K.A. Fashion, a clothing shop that has been in the American Garment Center building for 10 years, said LAPD doesn’t seem to be moving very quickly on this case.
“They told us that the best thing they could do is that the detective won’t be here until possibly tomorrow,” he said. “They don’t even know if that’s guaranteed.”
The LAPD received the report of the incident on the afternoon of August 25 and is continuing the investigation to determine the exact time of the burglary and assess the total damage.
Meanwhile, crime rates in LA’s Central District, which includes the Fashion District, have risen by 17% this year compared to the previous year. This increase is higher than the overall crime rate in LA, which has gone up by 11%.
BY JAESUN SUH, YOUNGNAM KIM [suh.jaesun@koreadaily.com]
