Afghan Immigrant And San Francisco Store Owner BEGS For Help To Fight Crime, Says It's The 'Worst He Has EVER Seen'

Written By BlabberBuzz | Sunday, 04 June 2023 08:35 AM
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Afghan Immigrant And San Francisco Store Owner BEGS For Help To Fight Crime, Says It's The 'Worst He Has EVER Seen'

Zaid, co-owner of Cigarettes R Cheaper in San Francisco's Richmond District, is at his wits' end with the city's crime after a gang of thieves stole over $100,000 in merchandise from his tobacco shop.

Zaid, who immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan in 1987 and opened his store in 2003, said that the situation in San Francisco is worse than ever. "The city has gone downhill, especially the last 2 years since COVID; I've never seen it worse," Zaid told Fox News Digital. "People are afraid to come shopping here because they are either going to get robbed or someone will break into their car."

The robbery occurred on Tuesday night when a half dozen thieves smashed Zaid's windows and made off with about $80,000 in merchandise and $20,000 in cash. "At least in Afghanistan, the Taliban will cut your hand off, and people are afraid to commit such a crime," Zaid said, adding that he sees people stealing from nearby stores daily.

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"They know the police won't do anything," Zaid explained, adding that the thieves were in his store for 18 to 20 minutes and had plenty of time to "ransack" the place. Zaid said that police have told him that they are short-handed.

The San Francisco Police Department, facing a crisis-level staffing shortage, confirmed to Fox News Digital that officers arrived on the scene at 2:44 a.m. on Wednesday and "observed the window to the business shattered and items from the business strewn about the scene." No arrests have yet been made, and Zaid said that seven individuals in two cars were involved.

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"We have drugs issue, we have homeless issue, and on top of this these idiots come in here and take whatever they want," Zaid said. Zaid said he would have to close his business if things did not change quickly. "We might have to shut it down," Zaid told Fox News Digital. "Our safety is more important than making a living in this city."

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"This is on the politicians," author and former California gubernatorial candidate Michael Shellenberger tweeted about the incident while calling on San Francisco Democrat Mayor London Breed to take action.

Breed, who has recently downplayed the severity of rising crime in her city multiple times and suggested that "systemic racism" is to blame, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

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