Deli in West Oakland faces new challenges with break-in, attempted arson
The owner of a West Oakland deli once again found himself at the center of turmoil Friday as he grappled with the aftermath of a break-in and attempted arson incident.
"These guys come through the fence, came in here, chopped through this. So messed this whole situation up. Came in here, pried this open, came inside," explained Stay Gold Deli Jason Herbers, outlining how the alleged intruder made entry.
The latest ordeal compounds the challenges Herbers was already facing, including multiple fines from the city and persistent issues with trash accumulation outside his business.
"This morning has been brutal, not only for my staff, not only for my manager, for me as well," Herbers said. "They stole checks from our office. I had to go cancel all those checks. You know, I had to get on the phone and do all that. It goes on and on. We gotta call someone to come down here and repair all this."
Surveillance footage captured a person inside the establishment at around 6:30 a.m. Friday morning. Herbers claimed the individual attempted to set the place on fire, trying to light the menu on the wall. The fire was burning when he arrived.
"We're tired of this. We're sick of it. We're done here. We're gonna do what we have to do to keep things going, but we're not expecting any help from the city," Herbers declared.
The incident has left Herbers feeling disheartened about the state of his neighborhood, which he has called home for over 20 years.
"The bottom line is that the city doesn't care, and we have to police our own communities. We have to police our own businesses, because if you wanna live out here and do business out here, you're gonna have to be able to handle your own stuff. Because if you don't, this place is gonna eat you," Herbers said.
Despite the challenges, Herbers remains determined to persevere. For now, his focus is on rebuilding and moving forward.