(KRON) — A locally owned business in Mission Dolores has faced two vandalism incidents in two months, and now the owner is asking the community for help in addressing the crime San Francisco business owners are facing.
Kevin Lieu, the owner of GAI Chicken & Rice on 16th Street, says the company has faced two thefts and four separate vandalism incidents since the business opened in 2019. The latest happened on the night of May 27 just after 2 a.m.
Security footage obtained by KRON4 shows a person pick up an object and throw it through the window of the store before running away. Lieu says two windows were broken and a door was cracked after an incident on April 19.
“What was most disturbing is the window that was broken right between our two pride banners. It almost seems like a personal attack against a queer-owned business,” Lieu told KRON4.
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Lieu suggested a few solutions to these crimes, and the first involves the community working together. He suggests that community members “reach out to the police when they see something – keep a watchful eye.”
Lieu also hopes that San Francisco policy makers will crack down on “non-life threatening crime” in the city, including incidents of vandalism and theft. He says that the SF community stands to face significant losses if more businesses close and people move away due to crime.
The San Francisco Police Department confirmed to KRON4 that it is investigating two separate incidents of vandalism at Gai Chicken & Rice. Anyone who has further information about the incidents on May 27 or April 19 is asked to contact the SFPD at 415-575-4444.