About U Boutique on Atlantic Avenue was vandalized and burglarized last Saturday, June 19 around 2 a.m., owner Berenice Dena said.
Video surveillance footage shows what appears to be a man in a beanie making off with the boutique’s cash register.
“They broke the front door glass,” Dena said. “They kind of vandalized and they took the cash register with the receipt machine, and that was like a $2,500 register.”
The boutique offers clothing and one-of-a-kind sterling silver jewelry, some of which was also stolen during the break-in, Dena said.
The burglary is just one in a string of burglaries that have occurred in Long Beach in the past two weeks. Earlier today, 20-year-old Corey James Swayney was charged with eight felony counts of second-degree commercial burglary in connection to a series of restaurant break-ins.
It is unclear whether Swayney was involved in the boutique break-in. A Long Beach police spokesperson said that the burglary division is currently investigating the event.
“It’s a big impact,” Dena said. “There was COVID first, and then now we’re reopening again and that affected us a lot. Then with this, there’s insecurity because of the cost of the damages. I have to replace everything now.”
She set up a GoFundMe two days ago to help recoup the losses caused by the burglary.
“For local businesses especially, we’ve gone through a lot of hard times,” Dena said. “This incident that happened really affected the business, being able to continue being in business and surviving.”
Those who want to support About U Boutique can donate money to About U Boutique’s GoFundMe here.
