Community rallies around video store owner after break-in
If the New Year’s break-in at Joey’s Video Stop in New Westminster was a holiday film, Home Alone comes to mind.
The thieves in the movie are clever enough to gain entry, but once in prove to be not the brightest bulbs on the string.
That’s not much consolation to Joey Le, however, because he feels like he’s lost a child. “I put my life into this store,” he said. “It feels like an empty shell now.”
Thieves broke into three businesses along 12th Street between New Year’s Eve and the morning of Jan. 2, including a donair joint and a nail salon that bookend Le’s video and DVD rental store ($3 for an adult film for two days, $1 for regular and children’s films for a week, taxes and late fees included).
One of the last of a breed, Le was having his morning cup of coffee before heading to his store to open on Friday after the New Year’s Day holiday, when the phone rang. It was the police.
“I dropped my cup of coffee, I couldn’t hold onto it,” Le said.
It got worse when he got to the Video Stop. “When I walked in, I couldn’t stand up, my knees were jelly,” he said. “The New Westminster police officer said I looked like I needed a hug and held me. She was wonderful.”
Thieves — who broke in through the back door, which is steel and has four locks — stole about 8,000 DVDs worth an estimated $40,000, Le’s security cameras and his computers with all his inventory and customer history on their files.
They also stole his chequebook and tried to cash a $900 cheque after he’d frozen the account.
But they didn’t steal any DVD sleeves, causing Le to wonder how they hope to sell thousands of used “naked” DVDs, and they did not steal the most valuable movies, Le’s collection of 800 current movies, those released in the past 12 months.
“These are the jewels,” he said, reaching for one of several containers under the counter. “Those guys missed out. These are the most valuable thing in the store.” The thieves also left behind their crowbar.
While The Province was at the store, a customer came to give Le a hug.
Earlier others had dropped by, to bring him tea or something sweet to eat or just to give him more hugs.
“Joey loves movies, plus he loves being able to share that love of movies with people,” said longtime customer Joanne Williams. “Every time I watch a ‘Joey’s Choice’ I like it. And every time I’m in the store, I wind up spending an hour talking to him.”
Le also did charitable work, donating time and money, especially for causes involving sick children. He has a postgraduate degree in business, but loves the store he’s owned since 2002 too much to do anything else.
“The thing is with Joey,” said Karen Blackburn, another longtime regular until she moved away recently, “he’s had high-level career options for himself, but he chose this because he wants to make people happy.”
When Le returned to his store on Thursday, his voice mail was full of messages of support.
And the police, he said, have one suspect in custody, are looking for a second, and told him to be patient, things might work out after all. The outpouring warms his heart. And ever the movie man, he couldn’t resist a tip as a reporter and photographer left. “Please see Boyhood,” he urged, referring to the coming-of-age film released in 2014 that was shot over 12 years. “It will thrill you, it will make you so proud if you have a child.”