Burnt-out facade of Vital T Leaf
The owner of Vital T Leaf said that on November 27 someone set fire to his shop. Ben Chen told Northwest Asia Weekly, “Almost every other night, there are homeless people sleeping at the door… I don’t think they set fire.” My shop was deliberate. “
But Chen said that the flames spread in the store and burned his tea set and other equipment.
Chen’s surveillance camera battery is dead.
“But it doesn’t matter, because these suspects can get away with it.”
Chen said that his only comfort was that his landlord agreed to let him set up a fence outside his shop-he had asked before but was refused.
Chen’s store was broken into twice in a month.
“A few neighbors and friends came over and asked them what they could do to help? They were very thoughtful, but in fact they couldn’t do much. The police could do nothing.”
There is no word on whether insurance will cover any of his losses.
