SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The owner of MGK Auto showed up Tuesday morning to find his gate lock busted, his door broken open, and his surveillance video cameras disconnected.
He thought he’d been robbed.
So when he called the police and found out it was their doing, he wanted answers.
“They cut the lock on the gate, took a bar to the door, completely destroyed everything,” said Ovanes Gumushyan, the owner’s son.
All signs pointed to a break-in.
But nothing was stolen.
“We thought it was thieves, but nothing was taken,” said Ovanes. “Just everything destroyed.”
“My cameras was disconnected, power was disconnected,” said Mysak Gumushyan, the owner of MGK Auto.
Once they finally recovered the footage, the intruders weren’t who they expected.
“I saw what looked like military guns drawn, probably around 10 people and just swarming the whole area,” said Ovanes.
Law enforcement in tactical gear.
The owner of MGK Auto called the San Diego Police Department only to find out, it was their officers.
According to SDPD, there was an investigation lasting for days.
Eventually a search warrant was carried out at 4835 El Cajon Boulevard, or MGK Auto.
More than 20 gambling machines, illicit drugs, and money were found in a room, one that the auto shop owner says is leased to someone else, and he can’t access.
“So talk to me about this room behind us,” I asked Ovanes.
“The landlord partitioned this, this whole building into two,” Ovanes said as he gestured to a wall dividing his garage from the shuttered room. “We have no access to it besides walking all the way around into the alleyway.”
SDPD sent ABC 10News this statement, which says in part:
The location in question is an auto shop, with another entrance located in the back, where people would walk in and out. Often, in these operations, legitimate businesses are used as a front for the illegal gambling operation. Without knowing the exact interior layout of the building, and due to claims of people being potentially armed with firearms inside, a tactical team was used to ensure the safety of the search. Entry was made into the auto shop, as it was unknown if armed people involved in illicit activity were hiding inside. At the conclusion of the operation, a receipt and an inventory document were left behind. Additionally, the auto shop business called in a burglary report after the search had been conducted. An SDPD Sergeant responded and spoke to a female at the auto shop, giving her the number to file a claim with the City.
SDPD also found 39 gambling machines in a storage facility in Chula Vista within this same investigation.
“I mean, we also, we're here from maybe 10 to 5 o'clock every day, so we didn't hear anything. We didn't see anything,” said Ovanes.
The family said they have been here for 26 years.
They have to fix the doors, locks, and gates, and say that the damage could cost almost $1,000.
