An Arcadia jewelry shop has been left in shambles after burglars tunneled through a neighboring business and ransacked an L&Z Jewelry. The loss is estimated to be about half a million in property, according to shop owners Feihong Zhao and Pi Pi. In an interview with KTLA, the disheartened Zhao shared, "Overnight, I lost everything." The anguish of Zhao was mirrored in an NBC Los Angeles report, which also highlighted the couple's years of hard work leading up to the opening of their store.
The burglary was discovered on the morning of Oct. 18, as the owners arrived to find a gaping hole in the ceiling and a section of the wall torn open. Beyond the stolen wares, they found that their technological defenses — the alarm system and cameras — had been disabled. According to Zhao's statement obtained by NBC Los Angeles, when they opened the store door, "I smelled burning ... I saw that my safe was cut and saw that the wall had a hole."
Despite the devastation, the couple plans to continue operations, selling costume jewelry, while also facing the daunting task of refunding customers for stolen items. "They are really professional. After they got in this room, they break the alarm system," Zhao told ABC7. The owners' determination to persevere stands in stark contrast to the meticulous heist that has temporarily crippled their dream.
The Arcadia Police Department is currently investigating the incident, though details are sparse. No images of the burglars were available due to the disabled security systems. The couple has taken to social media, lamenting, "We're not rich, we're just young parents trying to build a life for our child," as they detailed in a statement obtained by KTLA. Furthermore, they expressed a desire to shed light on the growing number of burglaries targeting small businesses in the area. Community members with information about the crime are urged to contact the Arcadia Police Department, while a GoFundMe page has been set up to aid in the store's recovery.
