Fong Hyun couldn't believe her eyes when she arrived outside a salon in Little Italy. White paint was splattered on the front windows of Bella Paris Nails and Spa, and the glass was broken by rocks.
Hyun, who has run the salon for seven years, said she has had many problems in the past, but nothing like the one she had seen before leading up to the latest vandalism.
“Small businesses can't afford these costs,” said Kevin Arnold, a Little Italy resident and president of the San Diego Neighborhood Coalition.
Arnold said the coalition is working with business owners to demand that the city of San Diego do more to protect businesses from homelessness and the crime that comes with it.
“We think the mayor needs to do more. We think the mayor needs to come up with a plan, but not a plan to just move them from this side of town to the other side of town. '' Arnold said. They need to plan from bottom to top and say, “Once we get these people, this is what we're going to do: We're going to put them in a safe place to sleep, we're going to give them counseling.'' From there, we will move them into some type of housing arrangement where they can live. ”
Mr Arnold said the coalition wanted the crime to be taken more seriously. He said he wants even minor offenders to be prosecuted, and his group plans to pressure the city attorney to do so.
“We are going to start prosecuting these people. We understand that they are homeless, but if they commit a crime, they will be prosecuted and held accountable,” Arnold said. he said.
Hyun told NBC 7 that homeless people camp outside her front door every night, leaving behind the smell of urine and fecal matter. When NBC 7 arrived Monday morning, the entrance to her store was wet after human waste had been washed away with a hose.
“Everything stinks, so I have to clean it every morning,” Hyun said.
She claims the situation is so bad that some customers are afraid to come into the store. Other business owners say they plan to relocate from the area.
The incident was bad for business, not to mention the cost, which is estimated to be about $1,000 to replace the broken glass. You have to do a lot of nail-biting to pay that bill.
Hyun doesn't know who was responsible for the vandalism, but he has notified San Diego police and hopes that security video from surrounding buildings will lead to an arrest.
The San Diego Neighborhood Coalition has held several meetings to discuss crime in Little Italy. Mr Arnold said the next meeting would be attended by councilor Stephen Whitburn, who represents the area.
