‘They almost killed him:’ Los Angeles store owner brutally beaten by armed robbers refuses to reopen
By Sophie Flay
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LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A Los Angeles clothing store owner said he’ll never reopen his shop after he was brutally beaten by armed robbers during an incident that was captured on surveillance video.
The robbery occurred shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday at the KLOUDPUSHERZ clothing store in the 1100 block of South Main Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Disturbing footage captured by a surveillance camera inside the small business shows the two assailants beating a man on the floor during a prolonged struggle.
One of the suspects is seen holding an automatic handgun.
The second victim is later seen in the video after apparently being injured in an off-camera altercation. He collapses as the robbers continue to attack the first victim, whose spilled blood ends up smeared across the floor.
Franky Serano, the owner of KLOUDPUSHERZ, was hospitalized with multiple injuries, including fractures to his skull and nose and a broken finger.
He did not wish to show his injured face for an on-camera interview Monday but shared several photos with Eyewitness News showing his injuries. He has several staples on his scalp after being hit multiple times with a gun.
Serano has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home under the care of his mother along with his girlfriend, Ivana Octaviani.
She set up a GoFundMe to help pay his medical bills, which has garnered more than $10,000 in donations.
“I went to the store on Thursday when the police was there, saw so much blood on the floor. I don’t even want to walk in,” Octaviani said.
The suspects only stole what was on Serano, including his watch, bracelet and chain.
Afterward, surveillance video from outside the store shows the attackers running to a sedan that was parked nearby. They were last seen heading southbound on Main Street in the car, which had tinted windows.
Octaviani said she moved out of L.A. days before the attack because she was worried about the increase in crime in the city.
After the unthinkable abuse her boyfriend endured, she said he doesn’t plan on opening his store again.
“I said, ‘What do you want to do about the store?’ He said, ‘I’m not going to step foot into that store anymore.'”
Octaviani hopes sharing the video of the attack will help police capture the suspects.
“It’s not just a regular robbery, they almost killed him,” she said. “Literally almost killed him. He’s lucky he doesn’t have any brain damage.”
The suspects were described as two men, both wearing hooded sweatshirts.
To visit Serano’s GoFundMe, click the link below
Anyone with information is urged to contact authorities.
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