Motorists saw Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies milling around a tire shop in Compton and a message in Spanish that read “Dear Customer, No Burnout Thanks to Snitch” spray-painted in black on the front of the store. I slowly looked at the big letters that said “No.” “Kema” — non-combustible.
One of about a dozen lawmakers standing outside a Rosecrans Avenue shopping district – some in khaki uniforms, others in plain clothes wearing bulletproof vests over sweatshirts or T-shirts. – told a Times reporter on Tuesday that they were helping with the city's “routine inspections.”
When asked about the message left on the wall, the deputy said, “I don't know anything about that.”
Bernardo Lopez, who runs a tire shop with his mother, is being investigated by city officials for allegedly selling tires to street racers who took over intersections to commit burnouts and other illegal activities. He told the Times that he wrote the message himself.
Lopez, who said he can't control what customers do with their tires, said he grabbed a can of spray paint and scrawled a message in front of his shop telling people to stay away from street racers out of pure frustration.
“I tell my kids, 'This is where we're going to burn out. We don't want to cause a syndrome,'' he said in Spanish. She said, “Go somewhere else. We don't want noise. We live honestly.”
The dispute at Jeffries Tire and Lims, which the city ordered closed this week for violating ordinances, is the latest flashpoint in the agency's crackdown on street occupations, and the issue has become a concern for many Compton residents and business owners. has incurred the wrath of Perpetrators who obstruct traffic and engage in dangerous behavior may also vandalize or loot nearby businesses.
Last month, a crowd attending a takeover at El Segundo Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue flocked to Reuben's Bakery & Mexican Food, crashed a Kia Soul through the front door, and then drove away the 40-year-old family-owned business. Looted. Sheriff's deputies arrested a 13-year-old boy believed to be driving the Kia. Hours after being released from custody, the boy was arrested for attempting to rob a 7-Eleven in Carson, authorities said.
Three weeks after Reuben's Bakery & Mexican Food was looted, four people were shot, but none were fatally injured, during the occupation at Alondra Boulevard and Central Avenue. Authorities reported five other sideshows that night in Compton and South Los Angeles.
The problem became so severe in Compton that the city's sheriff's department chief called Compton a “mecca for street takeovers.”
In a statement to the Times, a spokesperson for the City of Compton said: “We are actively monitoring the situation and considering all necessary measures to address concerns regarding street hijacking and illegal street racing in our community. I can assure the people that we are doing everything we can.”
The city declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
The LA County Sheriff's Department did not respond to questions from the Times about Jeffries Tires.
According to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to speak to the media and requested anonymity, Jefferies Tire Co. is putting old tires on street racers' cars to prevent burnouts from damaging everyday tires. It is suspected that worn-out tires were installed.
Bernardo and Natalia Lopez denied this. The company only sells used tires that are in good working order, and when customers replace their tires, the old tires are disposed of and not resold.
The mother and son have been running the store, located between Chevron and Rose Motel near Rosecrans and Wilmington streets, for about a year and a half. Bernardo López said the economy used to be good because he was selling used tires for $45 apiece, unlike the “greedy” stores in the area that sell for $60 or more.
They admitted that some of their customers are street racers. Bernardo López believes the city started investigating his store after seeing the store's sticker on his car at a sideshow. He said the company is handing out stickers in exchange for discounts as a marketing strategy.
Yes, they used to be open until 3 a.m., but Natalia Lopez said most tire shops in Compton are like that, and some are open 24 hours a day.
Natalia Lopez said she and her son should not be responsible for what customers do with the tires they sell them. “When people come to buy, to customers, we have to sell to them,” she said. “You can't guess.”
According to a notice from the city's code enforcement agency, the city is not currently cracking down on businesses that sell tires to street racers, but rather businesses that operate without a license and pile up tires on driveways. The company is said to be cracking down on businesses operating under dangerous conditions. Department.
When law and fire inspectors showed up at the store on Tuesday, so many sheriff's deputies were there that Natalia Lopez passed out, according to surveillance footage and documents from her hospitalization for high blood pressure. That's what it means.
“All the emotions and fear were unbearable,” she said.
Last week, the Los Angeles Police Department's Street Racing Task Force, working with the Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol, arrested “one of Southern California's largest street hijack organizers,” according to a news release. Authorities said Eric Romero Quintana, 20, who boasts more than 70,000 social media followers, orchestrated events that led to robberies, vehicle thefts and other violent crimes. His arrest was important to all of Southern California, officials said.
Natalia Lopez and her son said they believe the sheriff's department is improperly singling out their business in an effort to find evidence of crimes committed by others.
“I always invite them,” she said. “If you think we're doing something, come on. The door is open.”
Natalia Lopez said a customer a few months ago accused a store employee of scratching the rim of her car while changing a tire, brandished a rifle and demanded a $1,000 refund. She called the sheriff's department, but two deputies showed up, detained her son and questioned her, she said.
She said that before she left, deputies told her, “We know what you guys are doing here, and we're going to come back.”
Police then tracked the two stolen cars to a gas station next door, and the third car was brought into the store by a customer, Bernardo Lopez said. Deputies wanted to know who drove the stolen car to his store. When he said he didn't know, they said he was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property. He has denied any involvement with the stolen vehicle and has not been charged with a crime.
“I think it's a personal thing at this point,” he said.
A new message went up outside Jeffries Tire on Wednesday. It wasn't spray painted on the wall, it was written on white cardboard: Due to harassment at Jeffrey's Tire, we will be closed until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience. “
