Amid an onslaught of break-ins and robberies, a family-owned business in Whittier will be closing its doors for good.
Opened to the community in the ‘90s, Ayman Fashion has seen a lot of change over the decades, but not necessarily for the better.
Break-ins and robberies have increased over the last few years and in the past month alone, the store has been robbed three times, with a trail of damage left behind. The owners said the cost of repairing the damage has rendered the business financially unsustainable.
“A lot of people have grown up in some of the clothes sold here, especially the school uniforms,” said Elias Haddad, the store’s owner.
Elias’ parents initially opened the shop to provide for their family. They immigrated to the U.S. from Jordan and made the community their new home. Their small business became their livelihood and was eventually passed down to their children and grandchildren.
“The first 25 years have been great,” Elias said. “The occasional daytime robbery or so, but we never had to deal with any true break-ins. But over the last year or two, they got a lot more consistent.”