PILSEN — A vandal hurled a newspaper vending box at the window of a Pilsen business early Monday, and the entire incident was captured on tape.
The unknown man, who appears to be stumbling in the video, chucked a large newspaper box at the corner of 18th and Miller through Color Me Hair Salon, 1012 W. 18th St. at about 1 a.m. Monday.
In a series of videos salon owner Luis Oropeza uploaded to Facebook, the man is seen in a T-shirt walking across West 18th Street when he saw the large newspaper box at the corner of 18th and Miller. He is first seen kicking the box, and then throwing debris off the top of the box, before tossing the large metal container on the ground.
The man then walks away, appears to put the jacket he is carrying somewhere off-camera, and returns seconds later to pick up the box. He hurls it at the salon's front window, shattering the glass just as two people walk past the shop, according to the surveillance video. The man then casually walks away from the scene as cars drive past.
Oropeza, who owns the salon with his wife Claudia Olvera, said he was immediately alerted after the crime by an alarm that sounds when the storefront's glass shatters. He and his wife live in an apartment behind the salon, and earlier, his wife heard the man dragging something large against the sidewalk — most likely the newspaper box, Oropeza said.
"I ran out, but he was gone," the business owner said.
The salon owner said he then turned to Facebook to find the vandal, posting videos of the incident online.
"Someone has to know where I can find this dude!" Oropeza posted on Facebook.
In business for 14 years, this is not the first time the salon has been vandalized, the salon owner said. In the past, vandals have etched messaged on the glass window, he said.
"Right when they close the bar, there is a sea of people walking in different directions," Oropeza said.
Replacing the window immediately cost nearly $1,000, Oropeza said.
"I want to have him be held accountable," the salon owner said. "I don't care if he goes to jail or not, but I want my money."
Police did not immediately have additional information about the crime Monday.
Pilsen business owners, landlords and neighbors armed with security cameras regularly capture criminals in the act and post their exploits to Facebook.
In February, an early morning hit-and-run crash on West 19th Street was captured on surveillance video. In December 2016, a masked man was caught on surveillance tape stealing cash from Don Churro, one of several break-ins that plagued neighborhood businesses.
And in October 2016, a video taken near 19th Street showed a man opening fire on a passing car in Pilsen moments before realizing he was actually shooting at someone he knew. The gunman then yelled out: “Aw man, my bad dawg!”
