Neither Erik Vázquez, nor his clients, much less the Long Beach police, have the slightest idea why the Mexican food restaurant “La Esquinita” has been the target of six robberies in less than three years.
Police indicate they would not speculate or comment on how crimes are committed at that business.
However, the truth is that Erik Vázquez, 49 years old and originally from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, says that the only thing he has left is to “continue fighting for my dream of having my own restaurant.”
La Esquinita Mexican Grill, located at 755 W Willow St., in the city of Long Beach, California was robbed on December 18, 2021; April 17 and 18, 2022; again in January 2023, on October 23, 2023 and last November 6.
Between 3:20 and 3:30 in the morning on November 6, the restaurant’s surveillance cameras captured two young people, presumably Latinos between 17 and 22 years old, breaking the lock on a door of the business.
The criminals used special tools to try to enter the business and, although they ultimately only committed an act of vandalism, they did not steal anything. Cash is not handled in the business.
“The truth is, I don’t want to think that this is something personal against me,” Erik Vázquez told La Opinión. “I don’t have enemies, but they break the glass in the doors and windows many times.”
This time, Erik estimates that the damage to his business exceeds $2,000, money he says he does not have.
Vázquez has a good surveillance camera system, with which he captured the hooded, masked and gloved thieves. After committing their crime, they fled in a dark blue Infiniti car.
“Yes, I have surveillance cameras, but they don’t care about anything,” said the owner of La Esquinita Mexican Grill, who opened his own small business on October 18, 2021.
Vázquez, who grew up with his grandmother Eustacia Martínez since he was one year old, in Peotilla, Villa Hidalgo in San Luis Potosí, emigrated to the United States at the age of 17.
“I worked as an errand boy, a sweeper, a dishwasher and as a cook,” says Erik. “I learned how to run a restaurant and when I was able to raise money, I took the risk of opening my own restaurant.”
Erik Vázquez told La Opinión that in the area where his business is located, there have been other robberies and acts of vandalism.
“I think young people steal to buy drugs,” said Francisco Rodríguez, a customer at the restaurant. “Drugs are the real problem in this city.”
Oscar Toy, owner of Celestial Air Conditioning, recommended that the community should focus on helping the restaurant owner by eating his food.
“It is good to help others when there is a need,” he said. “But also criminals who do not respect the law should face the consequences of their actions.”
He added that he has a working relationship with some police departments, and their officers complain that, now, “it seems like thieves have more rights than them.”
In a written response sent to Real America News, the Long Beach Police Department said: “The Department is committed to keeping the community safe. We have a greater patrol presence carrying out community outreach activities and patrol checks. We also provide safety advice to local businesses and residents.”
The request for help on GoFundMe
Help La Esquinita Mexican Grill rebuild and stay strong! is the request for help launched by Diani Spinella, a friend of Erik Vázquez, the owner of the restaurant.
“Dear community, our beloved local Mexican restaurant, La Esquinita Mexican Grill, is facing an unfortunate challenge. for the fifth time [sexta, en realidad]their façade has been attacked, leaving them with broken windows, damaged doors, and mounting repair costs. Each time they pick up the pieces, but this recent theft has left an unexpected financial burden,” the petition states.
“La Esquinita Mexican Grill has always been there for us. Whenever our community needed support, whether for local events, school fundraisers, or celebrations at Lafayette Elementary School, they were there, donating time, food, and resources to make our gatherings memorable. Now they need us,” he adds.
Diani Spinella recommends that the community can help in different ways:
Making a donation of any amount, large or small, that will make a difference and help restore what was damaged and supporting and visiting the restaurant for lunch or dinner on site, showing the small business owner that the community cares and Appreciates people in difficult times.
Recent incidents of robberies and thieves caught
In early September, Long Beach police arrested Tyler Ysaac Cooper, 23, who was accused of masterminding a spree of 19 robberies, most of which he committed on the city’s north side.
Over a nine-month span, Cooper held up businesses – including nine 7-Eleven stores in Bixby Knolls and near Houghton Park – where he appeared to have a gun and forced employees to open cash registers and demanded they hand him money.
Towards the end of September, Long Beach police arrested James Pierce, a resident of Long Beach, and José Ángel Ríos Pinedo, 29, of Maywood.
Both were booked as alleged perpetrators of an armed robbery that occurred in the 6500 block of Cherry Avenue.
After discovering the suspicious car used in the robbery, a brief chase ended when the criminals crashed and the getaway car stopped.
Pierce was booked on suspicion of robbery, criminal threat with intent to terrorize, firearms charges and reckless driving.
However, after Long Beach police detectives investigated other similar incidents that occurred in 2023 and this year, they determined that José Ángel Ríos Pinedo was allegedly responsible for five other robberies in Long Beach.
Juvenile thieves arrested
In the first half of October, two 17-year-old teenage thieves, from Lakewood and Long Beach, and a 21-year-old woman from Carson, Marissa Maxie, were arrested on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy to commit robberies.
Thieves were snatching chains from children in East Long Beach, including two occurrences just a few blocks from Millikan High School.
During each of the May 2024 incidents, the suspects approached the victim, ripped the necklace from his neck, and fled the scene in a waiting vehicle.
After the first robbery, detectives received a tip from a community member, which led them to identify the suspects and later determine that the series of robberies were related.
That same month, a lone thief broke the glass in the front door of the DeadRockers clothing store and made off with thousands of dollars worth of items.
The robbery occurred around 4:00 a.m. on October 16 at the business located in the 1000 block of East Wardlow Road.
Surveillance video captured the robber using a hammer to smash the glass front door and ransacking the store for 45 minutes before police arrived. It was the fourth time the DeadRockers store had been robbed.