Beloved local business Plantiitas Market nearly became the latest victim in a string of break-ins plaguing the Retro Row area. Co-owner Anthony Diaz shared a video on Instagram of two people trying to break into the store the morning of Saturday, Feb. 4.
“It’s been crazy for small businesses, especially around Fourth Street and Termino, where our first location was,” co-owner and Diaz’s husband, Kevin Alcaraz said.
The video captures two masked individuals opening the power box for the Plantiitas Market storefront and cutting off the power to the shop. They also attempt to break in using a crowbar-like object, but fail to do so.
Since the beginning of the year, Fourth Street businesses Prism Boutique, The Breakfast Bar, Speak Cheezy and now Plantiitas have been victimized by unknown suspects.
Prism Boutique had its windows shot at and shattered on Jan. 21.
Alcaraz said that a week before Prism Boutique was attacked, Plantiitas got a call from their security company asking them to confirm whether they asked to have their security system turned off. The couple had no idea who had called.
“It’s really scary,” Alcaraz added.
In the early hours of Jan. 28, a burglar stole two cash registers from The Breakfast Bar before going to nearby restaurant Speak Cheezy and stealing a safe with $5,000 inside, as reported by ABC7.
No one has been apprehended for these crimes yet.
Alcaraz told the Signal Tribune that Senator Lena Gonzalez reached out to Plantiitas and pledged to look into the issue.
