Immigrant-owned pizza store has been assailed by robbers four times since January: Report
Parents of man robbed at gunpoint in Oakland lament city's crime wave
The parents of a 21-year-old man who was robbed at gunpoint while celebrating his birthday in California last weekend lamented what has become of Oakland and the Bay Area due to crime.
Employees at a pizzeria in Oakland, California defended themselves on Friday from a robber who attempted to jump over the counter to steal from the store, in yet another alleged crime committed against the establishment.
"It's just unbelievable. They have the courage to do this. They have to fight against them," the owner of Cybelle's Pizza, Elizabeth Sanchez, told KTVU about her employees.
The attack occurred at about 10:30pm on Friday night, Sanchez said.
PARENTS OF MAN ROBBED AT GUNPOINT IN OAKLAND FEEL LIKE CRIME HAS BECOME THE NEW 'NORMAL'
Employees at Cybelle's Pizza in Oakland, California defended themselves from a robber after a man attempted to jump over the counter. (Getty Images / iStock)
The video, caught on CCTV, showed one employee taking out a hammer to scare off the robber as they entered the store and tried to make a grab for the cash register.
Another employee then hurled a green recycling bin at the robber as the intruder escaped.
The store has been targeted four times by robbers since January, KTVU reported.
SAN FRANCISCO’S OLDEST TOY STORE CLOSING DUE TO INFLATION, 'PERILS AND VIOLENCE' OF CRIME DOWNTOWN
Even fast food giant In-N-Out has been affected by the crime wave in Oakland. (Getty Images / AP Newsroom)
"They were using whatever they had on hand. They were trying to help the cashier, because they [didn't] want to leave him alone," Sanchez said of her employees who were forced to defend the store.
"As an immigrant, as a Mexican, this is my American dream," she said. "But where is it going? I believe it's going to the trash now."
"I completely understand the sentiment, deeply, of wanting to take things into your own hands," Oakland City Council member Janani Ramachandran told the local outlet. "We need more hours, more coverage if we're really going to make this a priority and the city's not, you know, just going to say we care but actually putting money and resources to make sure that we're supporting these businesses."
Crime in Oakland has caused some major businesses, like Blue Shield, Clorox and Kaiser Permanente, to issue warnings to employees, hire security or take other actions to keep workers safe.
Even fast food giant In-N-Out has been affected by the crime wave in Oakland.
In-N-Out told FOX Business that regular car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies of customers and employees led to the decision to shut down its Oakland location.
"We are grateful for the local community, which has supported us for over 18 years, and we recognize that this closure negatively impacts our Associates and their families," Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said in a statement. "Additionally, this location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and well-being of our Customers and Associates – we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment."
Some Oakland residents have held a rally to communicate their anger and fear over rising crime rates in the California city. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
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Ramachandran and the Oakland Police Department did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Jeffrey Clark is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. He has previously served as a speechwriter for a cabinet secretary and as a Fulbright teacher in South Korea. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in English and History.
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