Owners of a sneaker store are devastated after burglars ransacked the shop and escaped with thousands of dollars worth of merchandise.
Surveillance cameras captured the break-in on Feb. 22 at around 2:30 a.m. as four masked thieves smashed their way through the glass entrance of HypeBeast Kickz.
Located on Maclay Avenue in San Fernando, this is the second time the high-end sneaker shop has been targeted by burglars since it opened three years ago.
Even though the shop is located about 600 feet from the San Fernando Police Department, that did not appear to deter the suspects as they pulled up in a white Kia sedan.
A suspect is seen hurling a large rock to shatter the store’s glass windows. As the burglars swarmed the shop, display shelves were knocked over or destroyed as they grabbed as many pairs of sneakers as they could.
At one point, a suspect appeared to cock a handgun while inside the store.
The suspects ran back outside to load the stolen merchandise into a getaway car before returning to continue knocking over display cases and grabbing more items.
After quickly filling up the trunk with the stolen goods, they speed off into the night.
The family-owned shop began as a passion pursuit for Mario Rodriguez and his father. After repeated break-ins, however, the duo said they are tired of what feels like an endless crime wave targeting retailers in Southern California.
“I’m 20 years old and I grew up here my whole life,” Mario said. “It’s pretty dangerous nowadays. You can’t really go anywhere or wear nice things or jewelry.”
Mario and his father believe laws need to be tougher on criminals targeting retail shops.
“We’re a family-owned business, a small business, and it sucks to see businesses like ours get broken into with people just trying to destroy it and bring us down.”
The owners said the suspects escaped with around $20,000 worth of valuable merchandise.
For now, the father and son have been focused on rebuilding and restocking the store. They said insurance won’t be covering all their losses.
They’re purchasing a new steel gate to help protect the storefront and are working to replace all the broken glass, estimating it would cost them around $8,000 out-of-pocket.
The theft remains under investigation. Police confirmed the getaway car was also a stolen vehicle.
Anyone who recognizes the thieves or has additional information can call the San Fernando Police Department at 818-898-1267.
Footage of the break-in can be seen in the video player above.