A preferred downtown L.A. taco restaurant is struggling to remain afloat after thieves escaped with tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in a smash-and-grab housebreaking.
Surveillance video caught a number of masked suspects breaking in and escaping with a cash-filled protected on Oct. 19.
Brittney Valles, co-owner of Guerilla Tacos, stated the way forward for the Michelin-recognized restaurant is now unsure after this devastating monetary loss.
“They’d crowbars and crow-barred each single door, even doorways that weren’t locked,” Valles stated. “They broke my door frames that basically didn’t actually have to be damaged.”
The unlucky half, Valles stated, is that they had positioned an unusually excessive amount of cash within the protected the night time it was stolen.
“We had somewhat below $20,000 which may be very, very uncommon for us,” she stated.
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Thieves broke into standard downtown L.A. taco store, Guerilla Tacos, and escaped with almost
$20,000 in money on Oct. 19, 2023. (Guerilla Tacos) -
Thieves broke into standard downtown L.A. taco store, Guerilla Tacos, and escaped with almost
$20,000 in money on Oct. 19, 2023. (Guerilla Tacos) -
KTLA’s John Fenoglio speaks with Brittney Valles, co-owner of Guerilla Tacos on Oct. 28, 2023. (KTLA) -
Thieves broke into standard downtown L.A. taco store, Guerilla Tacos, and escaped with almost
$20,000 in money on Oct. 19, 2023. (Guerilla Tacos) -
Thieves broke into standard downtown L.A. taco store, Guerilla Tacos, and escaped with almost
$20,000 in money on Oct. 19, 2023. (Guerilla Tacos)
On the time, Valles was in another country on a mezcal shopping for journey for the restaurant. Over the course of per week, her workers members stuffed the protected with buyer money however had been by no means instructed to deposit it on the financial institution.
“That’s an costly lesson,” Valles laments.
Sadly, Valles stated this isn’t the primary time her restaurant has been focused as her different enterprise has additionally fallen sufferer to burglars.
“My restaurant in Rampart Village, referred to as Gogo’s Tacos. It’s a really tiny restaurant,” she stated. “It’s been there for 2 years. We’ve been robbed like six occasions.”
Throughout these thefts, she stated little or no money was taken, however the thieves brought about 1000’s of {dollars} in injury.
“On the finish of the day, if our enterprise continues to get robbed and if there’s no incentive to keep away from robbing locations, then we should shut and we have now 50 workers and they’re going to all lose their jobs,” she stated. “If there are not any limitations to cease it, then it can proceed.”
Along with the fixed menace of housebreaking, Valles stated the town of L.A. makes it extremely tough for house owners to run a small enterprise.
“Los Angeles is essentially the most tough metropolis within the nation, for my part, to open a restaurant,” she stated. “I consider it’s an fairness difficulty. You might want to have 1000’s of {dollars} simply to pay for the paperwork. What I would like the town to do is to make it simpler to run a small enterprise so issues like this don’t have an effect on us a lot.”
The Los Angeles Police Division stated they’re at the moment investigating the housebreaking. Valles stated she doesn’t know whether or not it was an inside job however has since put in strengthened locks and a brand new safety system.
She’s now nervous about having the ability to pay her workers and whether or not she will maintain her enterprise open.
“Assist native enterprise, as a result of it actually, positively impacts the funds in our native financial system,” Valles stated. “I’d say of the greenback that you simply spend, 75 cents stays in the neighborhood versus should you had been to spend that greenback at a McDonald’s, possibly 20 cents of that will keep in the neighborhood. So, be actually intentional about the place you purchase from.”
These thinking about serving to Guerilla Taco’s restoration efforts can go to the enterprise situated on seventh and Mateo Streets within the Arts District.
