Small local businesses affected by break-ins
El Centro Businesses are worried about how they are going to make a living.
EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA/KECY) - Local business owners in El Centro say they're fed up with their windows being broken and the theft that comes along with it.
El Centro police say last year they responded to 15 vandalized businesses and several had their windows broken. Nine of those burglaries happened on the city’s Main Street.
Already just this year, there have been about 5 burglaries.
This has been an ongoing issue for years. One previous business owner Micah Kerrico, who owned Modern Paint and Body in El Centro, a body shop on State St., said she has lost thousands of dollars worth of items.
"I've had five break-ins from 2017-2021. The last two break-ins were the worst. I felt violated but the police could not do anything because of COVID. I wanted to sleep with a gun in my store."
Kerrico now rents out her warehouse to Bea Bachar, a small business owner, and said she could not promise Bachar that her store would not get broken into.
Bachar is from the Imperial Valley and recently came back to open up her wedding vendor business. She said El Centro has gotten so bad and its affecting the people that are trying to make a living.
"I'm worried about the break-ins. I brought my business here to the valley for three reasons. I was born and raised here in the valley and I was very comfortable bringing my business here. One, small community. Second, everyone knows everyone. Third, low crime rate and now that I'm here talking to other businesses, I'm terrified," Bachar said.
Local business owner of Al's Tuxedo Shop, Alma Castellanos, had a break-in a couple of weeks ago and said it really affected her business.
"They broke in. They broke my window. They broke my window display. They took my mannequins with the tuxedos on them. The whole window display that I have outside, and that was kind of scary," Castellanos said.
Just last week, A&M Upholstery Shop had their window broken and items stolen, as well as La Segunda and More, another small business that was burglarized.
The local business owners wondered why officers were not taking action and arresting the violators.
California Senate Bill 262 doesn't allow officers to book someone in jail for a property crime. They are let go due to a no bail system. The law was put in place during COVID to try and stop the spread of the virus inside local jails.
Because of the theft and vandalism, the City of El Centro has taken a proactive approach by developing the Community Relations Unit where Sergeant Thompson reaches out to local businesses and provides information on protecting their property.
