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'This Is Not The Answer': Stores On Brink Of Reopening After COVID-19 Closures Hit Hard By Looting

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Several days and nights of unrest have taken a deep toll on neighbors and small business owners in several local communities, including the Fairfax District.

"This is not the answer. This is not the answer," said Ana Garrindo, who was brought to tears by Saturday night's destruction, after several hundred protesters converged in the Fairfax District.

There, Hanz Botros, the owner of the Smoke and Vape Depot, watched a live security camera feed from his store ... helplessly.

"They come, they loot, they finish everything in my store and leave. Then, another group came and didn't find anything in my store, so they started to smash everything and destroyed glass. I don't see any reason for that. I didn't do anything to anyone," he said.

Botros hardly survived being shut down for two months during the pandemic and has no insurance.

In downtown Los Angeles, mass looting was similarly visible. Juanita's Cafe was broken into with shattered glass visible by daylight. Its owner, Nati Abarito, arrived on scene to assess the damage.

"Everything is broken. People stole a lot of things from the other stores, it's crazy," she said. "We work hard for this, just for them to do this, it's sad. I know they want justice, but this is not the right way for them to be doing that."

Natali Mishali, the owner of a smoke shop in downtown, was at a loss for words.

"I don't even know how to begin to clean this up," Mishali said. Mishali's store on 6th Street was broken into just after 1 a.m. Saturday.

"I'm so angry. I'm so angry. It's my life. I put everything in here," she said on the brink of tears. "I'm all for speaking up for human rights, I believe in that. I'm very passionate about that but this is just an excuse to steal."

It took a few minutes for looters to break the glass of her store, making their way inside. Within a minute, security responded, but within that 60 seconds, almost everything was gone.

"They just treat our businesses like we're garbage. Like we're nothing. Like we're not human beings with feelings."

Across the street, the Jewelry Plaza shared a similar fate: glass shattered, shelves emptied.

"They looted everything. They looted everything. They broke all the windows, they took all the merchandise," said Bill Nabati, the owner of an electronics store. "Life goes on, but I hope they stop this mess and nobody else gets hurt."

For complete coverage of the situation in Minneapolis visit CBSMinnesota.com and stream CBSN Minnesota

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