Monday January 12th, 2009
India Emporium, Diamond Bar robbed & vandalized
Diamond Bar, CA
According to the owners, they found the store had been broken into sometime between after closing on Sunday night & Monday morning. The owners were distraught & dismayed at the break in. The cash register was emptied & apparently the thieves took the time to eat as the microwave was used and carpets were dirtied with food.
It was especially hard for them because they had used hard earned savings to buy a business that started over 25 years ago by Sharad Shah and family. After he had passed away, his brother Kishore & son ran the business & wanted to retire, so they put it up for sale. The South Asian Sri Lankan-American family-Jayasekara were looking for a business & bought it because they love Indian items & films. Then they added Sri Lankan Grocery as well. They are American citizens for over twenty years with a dream of owning their own business.
There were other buyers who were interested in buying this shop as well. Now the family is in shock and trying to pick up the pieces. The store is in a plaza with other Indian & non-Indian stores & they cannot understand why they were the only ones targeted. Due to the fact they have hired a private investigator(the firm to be kept confidential due to security reasons) to look into the matter & gave all possible information they could think of. “How the carpet was dirtied with food makes me think it was done by a sick & twisted person.” one of the family members commented tearfully.
The new owners had taken the time to improve the business and had received an A, they also lost a lot through the Chino earthquake that happened a few months back. Diamond Bar Police & the Sheriff’s office have not given word if this crime is hate related, random, in desperation or calculated robbery-vandalism. The owners trust the Diamond Bar law enforcement to do all they can but thinks they need extra protection during these times. Sheriff’s Department have build good relationships with the Indian & South Asian communities in Southern California.
Hiring private security seem to be the right thing to do as anything may happen at any time. There was even a concern if it was terrorist related because of terror situations that are happening around the globe that are south asian related. The private investigator after talking with the family believe that the list of possible suspects run to: Someone the previous owners knew or, friends of the previous owners, other buyers who wanted to buy the store who want to use scare tactics to make current owners leave the place, someone who believe the store have a lot of money & wanted to rob in desperation, a hate crime specifically targeting Sri Lankan-Americans who own an Indian store, Or a hate crime against Indians(but that is slim since other Indian stores in the plaza were not touched), those who are upset that India Emporium is speaking up about DVD Piracy, or a personal hate crime. The investigation firm is not ruling out other Sri Lankans who carry grudges if any toward the family because of the type of food eaten.
If anyone has information please contact Diamond Bar, Sheriff’s Regarding this case at: (909) 595-2264. Any help to capture these criminals are helpful.
24 hr security of various forms will be on the premisis
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