Thieves ransack West Oakland convenience store 4 times in 3 months

A West Oakland convenience store owner is fed up after his shop was ransacked early Thursday for the fourth time in just three months. 

Ahmed Abdullah told KTVU the problem has become so bad he wants to close shop, and he’s already lost one insurance carrier over the costs of the break-ins. 

"If the city could help me or so somebody can help me to break the lease, I would break at lease and close the store down because I'm tired of it," Abdulla said after the latest break-in. 

He’s on the hook for $9,200 a month for the next three years of his lease, so he'll have to stay open to survive. 

Security video shows the band of thieves smashing through his front door at 7th Street Food and Liquor across from the West Oakland BART station shortly after 3 a.m. 

The burglars took expensive bottles of booze, like Moet champagne and Hennessey cognac – along with lottery, cash, cigarettes and anything in the register. 

RELATED: Police arrest burglary suspects after chase across highway 4, BART tracks

In previous break-ins, they took his safe and even an ATM. 

But Abdulla’s case is no outlier. 

Data provided by the police department shows commercial burglaries shot up 59% last year in West Oakland and 76% citywide.

When it comes to being reimbursed for his losses, Abdullah says he’s already been dropped by one insurance company and when his policy is up at the end of the year, he doesn’t expect his insurer will sell him a new one.

SEE ALSO: Police arrest burglary suspects after chase across highway 4, BART tracks

"Believe me, when the year expires -- because we pay yearly," he said, "we will have to look for different company."

Evan Sernoffsky is an investigative reporter for KTVU. Email Evan at evan.sernoffsky@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @EvanSernoffsky

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