As we’ve reported, opportunistic burglary crews following chaos caused by some local mass demonstrations have taken advantage of dwindling police resources and weary business owners to strike – hitting at least two businesses in Orinda hard on Monday night.
Computer Software and Hardware, a small, family-run firm on Orinda Way, had its front door and window shattered by thieves who left with more than a dozen laptops, larger devices and other items sometime Monday night.
Yu Bistro, a Chinese restaurant also located at 1 Orinda Way, was also breached.
The thefts came as a blow to Norman and Morgan Weiss, the father-son team who own the computer store, and who have suffered along with most area businesses after the onset of COVID-19 restrictions.
“This is a huge blow because we have pretty much no computers we can sell and now rely on people to come in for their computer problems,” Morgan said Wednesday.
The owners had thought their relatively out-of-the-way location might help protect them, but say imposition of a curfew order may actually have been an advantage for the thieves.
“There’s no one driving around or parked in the lots so they can do whatever,” Norman Weiss said. “The close proximity to the freeway and to San Pablo Dam Road is also an advantage to thieves.”
Why weren’t the police stationed downtown to prevent this????? JEEZ! How stupid.
Under mutual aid, officers from one department may be called on to support others facing a critical incident such as the one underway in Walnut Creek that day and night…
Totally agree!
You do know even without the chaos Orinda only has 2 officers at night. All it takes is an arrest or good accident call and the city is ripe for opportunists.
OPD was also away on that dreadful party night at Orinda AirBnb. A judgment call to be sure, but now burned more than once rendering mutual aid, and the expectations this week for potential violence locally are certainly different than on that occasion. These small businesses are getting crushed from every direction. Very sad!!
With more people unemployed I fear this crime wave will only accelerate.
Opportunistic burglars? What koolaud are you drinking. LOOTERS.
We don’t like Kool Aid or koolaud…
Vandalizing and stealing from small business owners? What a noble way to change the system for the better…we need to differentiate between peaceful, positive social demonstrations and opportunistic criminals making our communities and the situation worse.