Owner of WeHo restaurant closes for night, leads staff to City Council meeting to address safety

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- On Monday night, the chairs were stacked and tables not set at the popular restaurant La Boheme in West Hollywood because owners and staff went to the City Council meeting to stress their safety concerns.

Lucian Tudor, the co-owner of La Boheme has had enough with the rising crime, and says he may even sell the place after 32 years.

He spoke at the City Council meeting with staff holding a banner behind him that read "Local Businesses Matter."

"Small business matters, keep us safe, keep us safe," Tudor said at the meeting. "We've been vandalized five times, five times, this is unacceptable."

The problems for La Boheme are well-documented. Video shows a topless homeless man walking through the restaurant uninvited as they are getting ready for service. And, in April, surveillance footage captured the robbing of three people with an assault rifle in the alley behind the restaurant. These are just a few examples of the crime that has become an increasing problem for the restaurant.

Tudor says it is a problem that is becoming unsustainable.

"The safety concerns are daily basis, we either have a window break or somebody fires up our furniture. Its happening one or two times a week," said Tudor.

Last summer, the West Hollywood City Council voted to cut four Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies and boost the number of unarmed security ambassadors from 30 to 85.

The move, which was reversed last month, was controversial among residents.

"If you hear on the news that West Hollywood is getting rid of sheriffs or Los Angeles is getting rid of sheriffs, burglars are not stupid. We don't want to become targets either," said JJ of West Hollywood.

Tudor said the unarmed security ambassadors are unequipped to handle the challenges the restaurant faces.

"We're dealing either with people, either jumping into our operation and screaming, or dropping down tables and scaring the customers away," said Tudor.

Tudor vows to close his restaurant and go to every City Council meeting until his needs are met. He said he is fighting for the community as well.

"Every time we will have a City Council meeting, I'm going to close the restaurant and go into the city because my staff and this community, we need to stand for them. Even if I lose $5,000 in sales, I don't care."