San Bernardino community leads prayer in support of single mother whose businesses was looted
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- Widespread protesting and looting was seen over the weekend in San Bernardino, but in the aftermath, community members on Monday rallied together to show their support for some of the businesses owners.
Several businesses were looted in concentrated spots across the city, including a beauty supply store. Joyce Kang, the store's owner and single mother of two kids, says she can hardly believe what she saw on surveillance video from 9 p.m. Sunday.
One man was even seen setting fire to a city DMV office.
Kang says looters showed up several times throughout the night and even appeared to try and set fire to the store. What wasn't burned or stolen, she said, was destroyed. She added that "destroying someone's business" should not be the way to bring attention to any issue.
Community members showed up and led a prayer outside the store to show their support for Kang.
Those who know her reacted to the looting with varying degrees.
"I don't think they should be sending this type of message, it's too angry, it's too violent," one person said, while others had slightly different views.
"The people who are doing whatever they're doing, they're focusing on the wrong places. The only people hurting us is the police department, the only people that is hurting is the feds, the only people that is hurting us is the judge," said Mary Ellen Ross of San Bernardino.
In Riverside, thousands of protesters took to the streets in a mostly peaceful demonstration.
Police officers were mostly absent from the protests. A spokesperson for the Riverside Police Department said they did not want to agitate anyone and would allow the protesters to do so peacefully.
Meanwhile, several cities in the Inland Empire and across Southern California issued sweeping Monday curfews, which take effect at various times.
