Family loses 2 Boyle Heights stores within minutes; arson investigation ongoing

A household misplaced two of its Boyle Heights equipment shops to fireside solely minutes aside on Tuesday, and the Los Angeles Fireplace Division is investigating the blazes as arson.

By the point firefighters arrived to the primary retailer, a one-story constructing within the 1200 block of South Lorena Road, flames had already engulfed the shop.

After the blaze, which began simply after 10 a.m., the whole lot inside was a complete loss.

“Actually our household may be very devastated,” mentioned a member of the household that owns the enterprise who requested to not be recognized.

The enterprise has been right here for 20 years, and it’s one among a number of equipment shops they personal within the neighborhood, making the second retailer’s destruction suspicious, the member of the family mentioned.

“It doesn’t simply by chance occur. You get me? Like how does two completely different fires begin in two completely different shops?” she mentioned.

About quarter-hour earlier and fewer than two miles away, one other equipment retailer went up in flames, this time on the nook of East Fourth Road and Euclid Avenue.

“We imagine the 2 could also be tied collectively. We presently have our arson people that, in addition to LAPD,” mentioned Battalion Chief James Flores of the LAFD. “Stories are they could be linked. Once more, it’s underneath investigation.”

Arson investigators had been on scene all through the day, and the Los Angeles Police Division is on the lookout for a suspect described as a person about 5 toes, 6 inches tall with a shaved head and brown eyes. He was final seen sporting a grey sweatshirt and blue denims.

One other of the companies’ homeowners mentioned one of many fires was began by a person who approached the entrance of the Lorena Road retailer and threw a flaming object inside. Then he mentioned, “You’re going to burn,” the proprietor mentioned.

The unnamed member of the family mentioned she has “no concept” why they had been focused.

“However it’s merciless as a result of we’re a Mexican household making an attempt to get by, and two of the shops out of three burned down … We’ve been right here for a really very long time and nothing like this has each occurred earlier than. I don’t perceive like why now?” sshe added.