An attempted burglary at a Long Beach restaurant last week marks the fifth time the Mexican grill has been hit since it opened three years ago.

The Nov. 6 incident unfolded in the early hours of the morning, with the establishment’s surveillance cameras capturing two hooded suspects exiting an Infinity and attempting to smash the restaurant’s front window with what appeared to be a crowbar.

“Then they start banging on the bottle,” Cynthia Zaragoza explained to KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo. “I can’t break it.”

Because La Esquinta Mexican Grill on Willow Street has been broken into many other times, the owner invested in shatter-resistant glass. Even with these types of protection, it didn’t stop criminals from targeting the restaurant.

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“It’s a huge setback,” Zaragoza said. “I mean, it’s not like we’re making thousands in profit on anything with the cost of living being so high. It’s hard to come back from that.”

Owner Erik Vasquez told KTLA in Spanish that despite the setbacks, he’s still succeeding, but wants more help from local authorities.

On Tuesday, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson and state officials walked downtown, looking for and discussing ways to revitalize the struggling business corridor. An estimated 100 businesses have left the area since the height of the pandemic.

“We’re looking forward to updating our downtown plan, our waterfront plan,” the mayor said. “What does the future look like?”

People who live and work in downtown Long Beach say crime and homelessness are major factors in driving away businesses.

“It’s definitely scaring the customers,” Carla Magana, who works in Long Beach, told KTLA. “We’re too scared to walk to our cars.”

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The goal, officials say, is to control the crime rate, but many downtown businesses and residents wonder if it’s already too late.

“Thieves, I promise you, you can’t take anything of value here. We leave the register open on purpose so they can see there is no cash, nothing in the premises,” Zaragoza said. “Hopefully now there’s a little bit more punishment for it. Otherwise, I don’t know how long we can stay open if things like this keep happening.”

A GoFundMe campaign was organized for La Esquinta Mexican Grill as remedial work for damage caused to the restaurant again.

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