Indo China Market in Goleta ransacked overnight, suffers big loss
GOLETA, Calif. - Theives hit the Indo China Market in Goleta early this morning according to the owners. A heavy financial loss has been reported from a stolen safe.
Video shows four to five suspects entering the store just after 4 a.m. at 6831 Hollister Ave.
They used a hammer to break in through the glass at the entrance.
"Two minutes, less than two minutes they were in and out," said owner Dung Phung.
He said they broke open one cash drawer with a small stack of bills inside but were really searching for something more.
Phung said inside the store, "they were looking for something down here and they pulled this one down and looked for something here, " he said as he pointed in the cashiers area.
It also 4:10 in the morning. Alarms went off.
There were eight video cameras on and caught it all including when they violently broke down his office door with repeated kicks..
The suspects ripped it off the hinges and inside the small office, dug under some coverings to find and take the safe.
It had cash and both personal and business paperwork, he said was vital to him.
This is a long time store in the Target shopping center but it's not the first time break-ins have happened around here.
Phung said, "another business a couple doors up down there.   They had a problem with broken glass." He said there was another smash and grab burglary at a restaurant.
A camera outside by the nearby Goleta Smoke Shop was aimed at the getaway car.
Phung said it was a black Honda 4 -door sedan.
The suspects had trouble getting the safe into the trunk of the car.
They stuffed it into the back seat and the five suspects took off.
It's all getting a close look by the Sheriff's department who sent deputies there in minutes, but arrived just after the suspects left.
"They took the video, I sent them the video and also they took all the pictures," said Phung.
No descriptions have been released.
Area surveillance is being checked nearby in the Target shopping center and the Jack-in-the Box drive thru.
A $25,000 reward has now been offered by the owners of the store.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's department also has a hotline for the public for anonymous information at 805 681 - 4171. The non-emergency dispatch line is 805 683-2724.
