Sign nailed over Sneaky Tiki’s glass door that was broken by burglars on Christmas morning. Photos by Sarah Bennett.
On Christmas morning, Sneaky Tiki owner Jennifer Hill received an unexpected knock on her door. It was the Long Beach Police Department with news no business owner wants to hear. Her Retro Row boutique had been broken into and thousands of dollars in hard-to-find merchandise had been stolen.
Police say that the burglary occurred at some point between 5PM on Monday and around 8AM Tuesday when a passerby called to report a broken window at the shop. A sign currently posted in the storefront’s 4th St.-facing main window lists off the items stolen: Pendletons, car coats, leather jackets, Mexican biker rings, jewelry, woman’s SourPuss clothing, vintage studded belts and Evil Denim jeans.
Many of the items stolen are unique to Sneaky Tiki, something that Hill told the Gazettes she hopes will eventually lead to finding out who did this crime. She also said that she believes that the perpetrator had been in the shop before to scout out what was going to be stolen. No doubt, the burglary was targeted; hers was the only Retro Row business to report a break-in during the time span in question.
Though police said Tuesday that there are no known witnesses and no suspect descriptions, the stretch of 4th St. where Sneaky Tiki resides is well equipped with cameras, which are currently being reviewed for footage of the robbery. Retro Row’s official Twitter account said at noon Tuesday that surveillance photos were “coming soon.”
Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact the Burglary Detail at (562) 570-7351.