Smash-and-Grab Crew Ransacks Kosher Pizza Shop and Pharmacy
A trio of burglars wearing hooded sweatshirts ransacked a pizza shop and a neighboring pharmacy in Los Angeles’ Pico-Robertson neighborhood early Tuesday morning, causing extensive property damage before fleeing the scene.
The break-ins occurred around 4:30 a.m. at Pizza Mark and an adjacent pharmacy on the 1700 block of South Robertson Boulevard, according to security footage and police reports.
Surveillance video from Pizza Mark shows the suspects shattering the restaurant’s front door before rushing inside. One of the burglars violently smashed the cash register onto the floor multiple times in an attempt to break it open, ignoring the keys that had been left in the lock. They then stole the pizzeria’s safe.
The owner of Pizza Mark, Mark Douek, stated that his business had never been the subject of a robbery before in the six years that he has been selling kosher pizza to the Pico Robertson neighborhood, “They hit the pharmacy every six months, looking for drugs and stuff like that. Bob, the pharmacy guy, called me in the morning, at 7:00 a.m., to alarm me about this break-in. It’s just sad that they have nothing to do but go smash, break and prey on other people instead of going to work and making a good living.” as quoted by KTLA 5 News.
Police believe the same crew was responsible for the burglary at the neighboring pharmacy, where they reportedly targeted prescription medications and other valuable items. It is believed that the robbery cost the owners thousands of dollars in damages and cash.
No arrests have been made, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. Law enforcement officials continue to investigate the incident and determine whether it is linked to a larger series of smash-and-grab robberies that have plagued businesses across Los Angeles in recent months.
