Thieves Ram South LA Barbershop on Thanksgiving, Steal Cash, Gear and Shop Cat

Surveillance footage shows three masked burglars using a pickup to smash through LA Fresh Cuts on the 1800 block of East Florence Avenue around 2:30 a.m. Thanksgiving. The owner reports about $14,000 in losses, with the front entrance destroyed and barber machines, tools, merchandise and cash taken. The thieves carried off the shop’s Savannah cat, Simba, in a kennel, prompting a public plea from owner Joe Gómez for the pet’s safe return. Detectives are reviewing the surveillance video, and the owner says investigators obtained a license plate from the footage. Gómez has increased security, is staying overnight at the shop, and launched a GoFundMe for repairs, as neighbors note holiday-season crimes often rise in the area.