Beloved Chinatown grocery store closing after 18 years, owner blames crime and slow business

CHINATOWN, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A beloved grocery store in Chinatown is closing after 18 years due to a slew of challenges for the business owner, including burglaries and the price of rent.

Amy Tran, the owner of Yue Wa Market, blames incidents like one that was captured on surveillance video. The footage shows a man in a blue shirt stealing Amy Tran's purse right out of her grocery store.

She tried to stop him as he fled on a bike, but she fell into the street.

It's just one example of why she's shutting down the business after nearly two decades.

"I talk with everybody (and) they say 'oh, I'm so sorry. I want you to stay here'... I say I can't," Tran told Eyewitness News.

Between burglaries, high rent and slow business, she's getting ready to shut the doors next month.

"I'm so sad. I can't sleep," she said.

Her son, Derek Luu, says ongoing immigration raids across the Los Angeles area have impacted sales.

"In terms of the fear that can kind of come out of being suddenly abducted, suddenly arrested for being undocumented, the Chinatown community just does not want to risk anything. So a lot of the foot traffic towards my mom's store has plummeted," he said.

Tran's love for the market and her customers is even sweeter than her produce.

"She's the kindest person that you will ever meet. She doesn't speak fluent English but she will try to get to know you, make conversation with you. She's just overall a very, very kindhearted soul," said her daughter, Tiffany Luu.

Tiffany added the shop is part of their identity.

"It put me and my brother through college," she added. "It's something I grew up with... in a way, it is a part of me."

With diabetes and cataracts, Tran says she is ready for a break.

But she's lost a lot of money in an effort to keep the business running. As she nears closing shop, her children have started a GoFundMe to help with medical bills and retirement.

Depending on how much money they raise, they might be able to keep the market open a little bit longer.