A string of recent burglaries at Velo Pasadena, a mainstay bike shop located at 2562 Colorado Boulevard, has left the business grappling with substantial losses. Fox LA reports that in the most recent break-in, occurring early Tuesday morning, thieves managed to make off with bikes valued at over $100,000. Velo Pasadena's manager, Matthew Gevrikyan, expressed the violation these burglaries represent to the shop, which has been in operation for 37 years. "How would you feel if somebody broke into your house?" Gevrikyan told Fox LA. "It just feels like someone violated our property, our home. This is where we live. We spend more time here than at home."
According to ABC7, the robbery was captured on surveillance footage which showed a group, made up of at least six thieves all donning hoodies and masks. They used a crowbar to force entry through a backdoor and then hastened into a storage room filled with bikes, facilitating the crime in less than a minute. The concern, voiced by Gevrikyan, highlights the ongoing threat these burglaries pose, not just to his business but also to other local shops that have been victims of similar crimes recently. "Very frustrating. There's local shops getting hit left and right," Gevrikyan remarked, calling for more action against the culprits.
The frequency of these burglaries, as reported by KTLA, has been a consistent issue with the shop experiencing eight to ten break-ins since the onset of the pandemic. The financial strain is mounting on the business, which previously encountered a series of break-ins, including one involving three burglars in a single week. While one suspect has been arrested in connection with a past burglary, the future remains uncertain for the resilience of the enterprise against such criminal activities. "It was unclear how long the owners could absorb the financial hits from repeated burglaries," the manager told KTLA.
Pasadena Police, having been on the scene to collect evidence, are investigating the burglary and working to see if there is any connection to other bike shop thefts in the area. Authorities are urging the community to contribute any information they have, in hopes of apprehending those responsible for the hefty losses incurred by Velo Pasadena and other affected businesses. "It’s tough," said Gevrikyan, articulating sentiments of frustration and injustice towards small businesses already facing challenging times. "There’s hard working people out there. Why are you hurting the small mom-and-pop businesses that are barely surviving these days?" he told Fox LA.
