A family-run small business in National City was burglarized and vandalized, leaving the owners to search for a way to pay for the damages since they had to cancel their insurance in order to pay for the store’s rent during the coronavirus pandemic.
Divas Fashion 2 on National City Boulevard was broken into with a construction sign and the thief took off with a mannequin that was dressed in formal attire. In addition to the burglary, the individual or individuals responsible for the break-in also scratched the store’s “Black Lives Matter” sign.
“We felt very devastated that the community is responding to us in that way,” said Dulce Tablas, whose family owns Divas Fashion 2. “My family and I have worked very hard to have this store and be able to keep working and keep having it throughout the whole pandemic.”
To continue paying rent for the store, the Tablas family had to cancel their insurance for their shop, leaving them to finance the broken window and replace the stolen goods on their own. On the store’s Facebook page, the owners said the cost to replace the window would be at least $5,000 out of pocket.
“We have all worked very hard to be able to have what we have. We work every single day 7 days a week,” the social media post said.
The Tablas family created an online fundraiser to help cover the cost of damages and to replace the stolen merchandise.
