Los Angeles-based business owner Evette Ingram's beauty business survived and even thrived during the COVID pandemic, but it can no longer survive the local crime.
Ingram made the decision to close up shop after a series of break-ins across multiple locations wreaked havoc on her mental and physical health as well as her livelihood.
"It's taken a toll on my health, and I can't do it anymore," she told "Fox & Friends First" Monday.
In February, Ingram started the process of closing all five of her beauty supply stores in California and Texas because of retail theft that's led to thousands of dollars in losses and put her life in danger on several occasions.
"I have had, on two different occasions, customers pull a knife out on me, and [my Tarzana store] has been broken into six times. Together, with all of my stores, I have had 12 break-ins."
Though her business first opened in 2016 and she continued to open stores during the COVID pandemic, Ingram said the break-in problems began during lockdown in 2020 and have remained relentless ever since.
In the most recent incident, video captured thieves smashing the windows of her Tarzana store location before stealing away with $25,000-worth of merchandise.
Police have zeroed in on one suspect allegedly involved in a break-in that took place last year. Ingram said she will be in court soon after recently receiving documents for restitution.
The string of break-ins had other consequences for Ingram, putting a wrench in her plans to retire in two years and forcing her to reconsider her career plans in the meantime.
"I think I'm just going to go into consulting and online sales," she said. "Maybe [I would reopen my stores]. It depends. I still have a lot of inventory."
She said reopening her brick-and-mortar stores would heavily weigh on logical officials' decision to enforce laws against criminals that are already on the books.
"Criminals are victimizing us," she told co-host Ashley Stohmier. "This is really not just hurting small businesses, but businesses period, and I just feel that they're just getting a slap on the wrist and that's it."
Ingram blamed both criminals and lawmakers for the city's crime crisis, one for committing crimes as the other refuses to take stricter measures against them.
In February, Ingram found out she was diabetic after being rushed to urgent care.
Ingram told FOX Business she fell in love in 2014 with wigs and being able to help cancer patients who were "at their lowest."
"I developed this passion for women with medical hair loss and, from there, it grew to opening a beauty supply store," she said.
