Lotus Garden vandalized and robbed

Mountain Treasures, across the parking lot from the restaurant, is a boutique specializing in clothing, jewelry and gifts.

A close friend of Eyu and his wife, who has acted on behalf of the couple as an interpreter of their modified English, told the Independent that on the couple’s arrival to the restaurant on Monday they came in and found the whole place destroyed. Cash in the amount of $350 was gone, their pet fish of 28 years had been killed, and everything in the restaurant was torn apart. He said they were devastated. He also said the FBI had been notified and asked to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime against the Asian-American restaurant owners.

“We are looking at a ton of evidence,” said Sgt. Stephan Birdsong of PTLSPD. “We have some leads we are following up on. At this time, nothing at this point points to it being a hate crime or racially motivated,” he said.

At Mountain Treasures, a glass door was shattered and is currently boarded up. The owner, who does not wish to be identified by name, and is not Asian-American, said nothing was taken from the store. She said the person or persons who broke in popped off all the buttons on the cash register and damaged the jewelry case but were unable to access the cash drawer because it required a special code.

Tang provided the Independent with a plethora of photos that began at the front of the restaurant and throughout, which included the kitchen and basement areas, all of which show how they found the restaurant when they entered Monday.

The best description of the devastation inside the restaurant, in lieu of photographs, actually came to the Independent from a news notification from a daughter whose dad, Steve Moraff from Tucson, was on vacation in the White Mountains. He and his wife had decided to dine at Lotus Garden on Tuesday evening, unaware of what had taken place.

“My dad just called me in tears and said my stepmom is on the phone with the FBI, and they are at the scene of a ransacked Chinese restaurant in rural Arizona. He doesn’t have wifi so he asked me to figure out how to contact the news.

“According to him and my stepmom, nothing has been left untouched. All the tables have been flipped, napkins strewn everywhere. Windows, TV, light fixtures, dishes smashed. Water spigots left on. Wires slashed so the kitchen appliances no longer run. Food destroyed. The fish in the tank, which were as old as the restaurant, are dead.

“My dad said it looked like a “pogrom” and my stepmom called it a war zone. The damage is methodical and must have taken a lot of time and effort,” wrote Siena Moraff of Tucson.

Moraff says he is a stay-at-home dad and programmer and also handles some rental properties. His wife is a law professor and they are part Chinese and have lived in China. They were devastated at what they saw and said he hopes the community will reach out and offer help to the restaurant.

Moraff returned to the restaurant on Wednesday and videoed Tang and manager Amber Blaase so they would have additional video evidence. Though cleanup was underway that day, the devastation of the vandalism was still evident.

Tang, who guided Moraff throughout the restaurant and answered his questions, verbalized the actual damage as they went from room to room with the sound of glass crunching under foot. The footage showed so much damage with wires to the appliances cut and food ruined. The back bathroom was damaged and the TVs and entertainment systems were damaged or broken. The basement was too dangerous to get in or out of because of food all over the stairs and other damage. Very few things remained intact.

Tang said when she first saw the place, she thought she should just retire, but they have 15 employees who want to work and she wants to get it all cleaned up and back in operation so they can reopen.

When cleanup was allowed to begin on Wednesday, the employees were there helping.

Blaase said, “We are a family here and so we are going to do everything possible to get up and running and back open to the public as soon as we possibly can.”

Blaase also shared some good news for the work family. Under the restaurant’s insurance policy, the employees will be compensated even though the restaurant is closed.

As word spread around the Mountain about the robbery/vandalism, a concerned community stopped by the restaurant to offer help or just some moral support. Some suggested setting up a GoFundMe account but the owners, though they appreciated the kindness, said it is not needed; they have good insurance.

Donna Shurwin, former owner of Mountain Haven Inn and a former hostess at Lotus Garden, is not surprised at the community stepping up to help. She says the Mountain community always comes together when something like this happens. “It is why I love living here,” said Shurwin.

Shurwin knows that Lotus Garden has also helped the community. She has first-hand knowledge of Tang’s generosity and says Tang is a rock star; Michael is the one in the kitchen but Sujian is out front and when people would book their event at Lotus Garden for a baby shower or birthday party, she would come in the door herself with a gift for the baby or the little girl because she was so honored they chose Lotus Garden for their event. She said they also donate to various causes on the Mountain to help out clubs and organizations.

In the 22 years that Shurwin owned and operated her inn, she sent many a guest walking three doors down to Lotus Garden for dinner, and they always enjoyed the food and the restaurant. She and her own family have frequented it ever since it opened and, like others, have made memories there.

Lotus Garden is a landmark. And, in spite of the devastation that has occurred, the restaurant will renovate and reopen. The good food will be served again; employees will have their jobs and continue to work together as a family and the restaurant will continue to be an asset to the community. But, there will be no Pacu.

Tang told the Independent, “We are very sad that our 28-year-old fish was killed too.”

Pacu was Eyu’s fish, and it is the loss of the fish that deeply hurts him.

The community is sad as well. Pacu will be missed. Even for those who did not know the fish by name; he was something they expected to see. He was part of Lotus Garden and he was part of Eyu and Tang’s beginning at the restaurant. He also became part of the everyday lives of the employees, too.

The community is also sad for what happened to Lotus Garden and to Mountain Treasures, one of the Mountain’s successful small businesses.

“This is so heartbreaking for all of us,” wrote Blaase. “If you have any information regarding this incident, contact Pinetop-Lakeside Police Department. This has affected many families within this community. We will remain closed pending an investigation and renovations.”

The PTLSPD can be reached at 928-368-8803.