A small business owner desperately searches for three men he suspects of stealing his hard-earned cash from his car as he cleans up after a day’s work.
Fearing retaliation and wanting to remain largely anonymous and off camera, Jess owns a small business that manufactures and sells a variety of pet products. While she worked at her pop-up event at Rowe’s DTLA on the weekends, on Sundays, with the help of her mother, she was able to complete her day’s worth in less than a minute. profits were stolen.
After filing a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department, Jess hopes to find three men who can be seen in surveillance footage provided by Row DTLA. Footage shows them taking a wallet full of money from the front seat of their mother’s car, placing it in a black garbage bag and walking away.
“It was so painful to watch,” Jess said. “It’s traumatic when I think about it now. But there was my mother’s whole identity there, not just the money and the cash, but her ID, her picture of us as a family.”
Jess’ mother put the purse in the car to help her daughter clean up after the event was over. She estimates that about $10,000 was stolen, in addition to most of her cash taken, her mother’s cell phone, and other items in her purse.
“She feels guilty for losing the cash I made that day,” Jess said. “Every time she sees it, she feels, ‘What if?’ What if you knew something like this could happen? I have.”
Echoing a familiar law enforcement sentiment, Jess warns those around her to stay vigilant and never leave valuables in her car, even for one minute.
CBSLA Staff
