Asian Family Business Opened 35 Years Ago Burned Down by Suspected Arsonist

Dragon Printing, located at 450 Taraval St., Sunset District found itself on fire just after midnight on Sept. 9, losing most of its inventory, machines and pieces of furniture.

 

The Wong family first assumed that a faulty outlet caused the fire.

However, surveillance footage revealed an unidentified man holding up a lighter near some boxes of paper.

The video, however, does not show the man setting the place on fire.

Whether he also stole the missing money from the shop’s cash register is yet to be determined.

“A representative from the business later arrived on scene and, after conducting a walkthrough of the business, determined that U.S. currency was missing from a cash register,” police said, according to SF Examiner.

The case is now under investigation of the Arson Unit and Burglary Detail.

Dragon Printing, which also offers copying and mailing services, has been running for 35 years. The Wong family immigrated from Hong Kong.

Like other Asian-owned businesses, their shop has struggled in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, last week’s fire did not hurt anyone, since tenants occupy the same building.

Maggie Chan, a close family friend, set up a GoFundMe page to help the Wongs get back on their feet.

“This store was the lifeblood of a hard-working Asian immigrant family that did their best to provide printing, copying, and mailing services all these years and especially during this pandemic. The store has remained open for over three decades and is now in jeopardy of having to close,” Chan wrote. “We are asking for the public’s generosity to assist with the cost of this crime, damage to the store, and destruction of inventory and machines.”

More shops along the same street reportedly suffered burglaries on the same morning. These include a bakery and a coffee shop, according to KTSF 26.

Police are determining whether the incidents are related.

Feature Images via Maggie Chan