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Last week’s attempted robbery at a Long Beach restaurant was the fifth time the Mexican restaurant opened three years ago.
The Nov. 6 incident occurred in the early morning hours when two hooded suspects were seen on the restaurant’s surveillance camera exiting an Infiniti and attempting to break through the restaurant’s windshield with a crowbar-like object. It was captured.
“Then they start banging on the glass,” Cynthia Zaragoza explained to KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo. “They can’t beat it.”
La Esquinta Mexican Grill on Willow Street had been broken into several other times, so the owners invested in shatter-resistant glass. Even with these safeguards in place, they couldn’t stop criminals from targeting restaurants.
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“This is a huge setback,” Zaragoza said. “I mean, it’s not like you’re making thousands of dollars doing everything because the cost of living is so high. It’s hard to recover from this.”
Owner Eric Vasquez told KTLA in Spanish that he’s making it through despite the setbacks, but hopes for more support from local officials.
On November 6, 2024, two suspects were seen attempting to break into a Mexican restaurant in Long Beach. (Viewer Image) On November 6, 2024, two suspects were seen trying to break into a Mexican restaurant in Long Beach. (Viewer image) Two suspects were seen attempting to break into a Mexican restaurant in Long Beach on November 6, 2024. (Viewer image)
On Tuesday, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson walked downtown with state officials to explore and discuss ways to revitalize the struggling business corridor. An estimated 100 companies have left the region since the height of the pandemic.
“We look forward to updating our downtown plan and our shoreline plan. What does the future look like?” the mayor said.
People who live and work in downtown Long Beach say crime and homelessness are the main factors driving out business.
“It’s definitely scaring customers,” Carla Magana, who works in Long Beach, told KTLA. “We’re so scared to walk to the car.”
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Officials say the goal is to understand crime rates, but many downtown businesses and residents wonder if it’s already too late.
“I promise the thieves that you can’t bring anything of value here. We leave the cash register open on purpose so they know there’s no cash or anything on the premises,” Zaragoza said. Ta. “Hopefully there will be a little more penalty for this. Otherwise, if things like this continue, I don’t know how long we’re going to be able to stay open.”
At La Esquinta Mexican Grill, a GoFundMe campaign has been organized to help repair the damage the restaurant has suffered again.
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