La Michoacana de Dena, a Pasadena ice cream shop, was hit by its second burglary in less than a year, with startling footage circulating of an intruder using a sledgehammer to force entry. The disturbing video, posted by the shop on social media, shows the break-in that took place around 4 a.m. last Wednesday. According to KTLA, the suspect smashed his way through the front door and proceeded to rummage through an office at the back of the store.
Fernando Camacho, the owner of La Michoacana de Dena, shared with ABC7, "It's very stressful, you know, because we have to come in and we have to clean up the mess, and I've got to call somebody to fix the windows, and it's not cheap, you know? I was just like, 'Man, not again.'"
The culprit, who remains at large, was seen departing in a dark-colored sedan after stealing money from the tip jar. Although the cash drawer was not taken this time, the theft of tips adds insult to the intrusion. The shop, demonstrating resilience, quickly repaired the storefront and was open over the weekend, as reported by KTLA.
Police are continuing their search for the individual responsible for the damage and theft at the ice cream shop. The crime occurs amid a slight downturn in California's property crime rate, but an increase in commercial burglaries and auto thefts, as indicated by data from the Public Policy Institute of California. "Statewide, California’s 2023 property-crime rate dipped slightly compared to prior years, down 0.8% from 2022 and 0.3% from 2019. However, commercial burglary rates remained 6.8% above pre-pandemic levels, and auto theft surged more than 42% over the same timeframe," Pasadena Now reported. In light of these events, anyone with information is urged to contact the Pasadena Police Department or Crime Stoppers to assist in the investigation.
