by Marvin Ramírez
Elvita Flamenco is taken by paramedics to the hospital after having been hit with a gun during the robbery of her jewelry. (photo by Marvin Ramírez)
It was the end of a semi-warm afternoon, and the beginning of a cool night at approximately 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23.
Elvita Flamenco, owner of Elvita’s Jewelry, who was accompanied with her daughter Sandy Flamenco and surrendered by several storeowners with whom she shares the facility, had just bought a supply of gold goodies to prepare for her Christmas season sales, which would pay up for the lost in business during this year’s ill economy.
It was just about an hour short to go home, when the peace and tranquility were interrupted by two black-hooded men with their faces covered, brandishing guns, and ordering every one to stay still at the facility.
“Don’t move,” said the men several times while pointing their gun at everyone around him, while one of them jumped over the counter at Elvita’s Jewelry, and started grabbing what he could.
With the bravery of a warrior, the older Flamenco threw herself over the one armed man who was rapidly filling a up container with everything he could, while the other kept everyone else from moving.
As she hang against the armed robber, the other one came at his rescue by hitting Flamenco with his gun, being able to stop the robbers from taking a bigger loot.
Following the struggle, which sent Flamenco to the fl oor, and the robbers with a small amount of jewelry, thee two man went running toward 22nd Street and headed on foot on Capp to get lost from a determined merchant next door who followed the men in his car. He lost site of them at Capp and 24th Street. Flamenco, who was taking to the hospital in ambulance, got a three stitches wound in her head.
Back in July, La Guadalupana Jewelry, just three stores away from Elvita’s, was hit by possibly the same gunmen and just more recently, and Tere’s Jewelry on 22nd at Mission Street, was also visited by robbers, although they were unable to take anything. JJ Jewelry on 24th Street, was another jewelry store hit days after. All these robberies happened at almost the same time in the day.
The police statement to the merchants was, according to Jorge Linares of La Guadalupana, “there is only so much the police can do… you need to find yourself your own protection.”
