Despite the stress of dealing with a burglary, subsequent fraud mitigation, and the need to pay bills on time, the owner of La Herradura Taqueria y Pupuseria in Federal Way said he remembers he’s blessed compared to when he first came to the U.S.
Josue Cornejo, who is from El Salvador, owns the restaurant at 2322 SW 336th St. He recently suffered a burglary, and about a month and a half ago, a candy machine was stolen from his business in broad daylight during working hours. Cornejo said the cash loss was substantial, but he did not want to share the exact dollar amount.
Cornejo said that despite being open since 2016, these recent incidents are the first times his business has been a victim of crime. Although he expected the U.S. to be safer than El Salvador, he said he would be naive to think there wouldn’t be any crime, and he’s taken this as a test from God.
Details of the incident
Cornejo said that around 2:40 a.m. Dec. 22, two men — one possibly Hispanic and the other Asian — broke into the business. Cornejo said they stole the cash register and left, but then came back and stole more money and an important laptop used for business. The incident was caught on camera.
Alongside the cash, Cornejo said they stole checks and a checkbook. Cornejo said losing the checks and checkbook complicated business matters, forcing him to shut down his bank account, cancel transactions, and ensure timely payment for his staff.
Cornejo said he learned about what happened when he was awakened by a call from one of his employees, who told him it appeared someone had broken in. He said he stayed calm, but he hoped for the best.
Ultimately, Cornejo said he lost the cash that would have been used to pay bills. Now, he’s not keeping cash at the business — and is increasing security.
“These things happen in life. It was me now, yesterday it was someone else, tomorrow it’s someone else,” Cornejo said. “So, whether you like it or not, it’s like a raffle. Your number was picked, and that’s how it goes.”
Despite keeping a calm demeanor, Cornejo said he feels helpless and stressed as he balances running the business with resolving bank issues caused by the burglary.
Cornejo said if he could speak to the burglars, he would tell them to find a job and do something good with their lives. He said they got away with this, but in the future, another victim might take action against them, and it could end tragically.
Cornejo said although the burglary is a setback, he still considers himself blessed. Cornejo said he came to the U.S. 11 years ago, and he was broke and made less money here than in El Salvador.
Cornejo said he left El Salvador because he was part of a church group that would try to keep teens from joining gangs and instead join the church. Cornejo said they were successful, but the gangs started seeing them as competition. Cornejo said teens would start to get involved in the gang, doing small jobs for them, but right as that happened, they would do outreach, and teens would often join the church instead. Cornejo said after the church group didn’t let up, death threats followed, which he had seen lead to the deaths of other citizens, so he decided to leave.
Cornejo said that despite losing cash in the burglary, he reminds himself that 10 years ago, he had nothing, so the loss is not really much. Cornejo said material possessions can be replaced, and he knows he has worked hard to build a good life since arriving in the U.S. He said criminals always fall, whether it’s through criminal justice or divine justice, they always fall.
“I’ve always felt secure, thanks to God, because in this country, I’ve always tried to work honorably and never take anything from anyone or take advantage of anyone,” Cornejo said. “I think living this way helps you because God blesses you when your money’s clean.”
Watch a video of the Dec. 22 burglary:
