OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) –An Oakland business owner fed up with his latest confrontation with burglars says he has lost confidence in public safety. He suggests to KRON4 that businesses should arm employees to keep the thieves away.

A witness stopping by GO! Gas & Food in Oakland’s Montclair District early Tuesday morning took cover when he saw a crowbar and gun-wielding suspects leaving through the window they just broke — with cash and whatever else they could take.

“If they’re just kids robbing some potato chips and cigarettes, that’s one thing. But when they got Glocks or guns in their hands, I said ‘hell no baby boy. Let me get on up outta here,” said one witness.

GO! Gas & Food owner Sam Jebril received an alert from the alarm company during the break-in and rushed over. He says he called 9-1-1 three times, getting the busy signal twice before dispatch picked up the phone. When he arrived, he tried the block the suspects’ two cars with his truck.

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“Two of them got the gun and put it to my face. I had to back up,” Jebril said.

Jebril says five or six suspects involved got away with about $3,000 in cash and items and caused about $20,000 in damages. He is still recovering from the more than $137,000 in losses and damages from when his other gas station in east Oakland was burglarized in October.

“My message to the mayor of Oakland — we need help,” Jebril said.

The Laurel District Association says Tuesday’s incident was at least the 11th commercial burglary in the area in the past seven days. The cars involved were used in previous crimes.

Auto shop owner Waheed Alsaidi says businesses cannot continue to take losses.

“Oakland, right now, if it stays like this, it’s gonna be a bankrupt city — nobody gonna live in it. It’s gonna be a ghost town,” Alsaidi said.

Moving forward Jebril says he intends to take matters into his own hands.

“We’re legally armed in here, and I have to protect myself and my business,” Jebril said. “If the law cannot stand for me, I’ll stand for myself.”

So far, no arrests have been announced.

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