Businesses trying to recover after wild coffee cart police chase

LOS ANGELES - Two local businesses are working to recover after a wild, two-county police chase Monday night, that ended when the suspect crashed the coffee cart he allegedly stole into a North Hollywood arts center.

Eartha Robinson is the founder of H.E.ART, which stands for Heartfelt Education through the Arts. Her studios are in the MKM building on the corner of Chandler and Tujunga, where the chase came to a crashing end. 

"Last night it was traumatic, but it didn't hit home 'til I came in here today," Robinson said. "There was so much damage."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Carjacking suspect found hiding in Porta Potty after chase in stolen truck towing coffee cart

The 45-minute pursuit started in Ventura County, when a suspect allegedly stole a coffee cart trailer, lost control, and crashed right into the MKM Cultural Arts Center. The suspect then tried to get away, before he was arrested hiding in a Porta Potty.

Matt Schieltz owns the coffee cart. He said his worker was coming home from a job, stopped at his dad's house to do a little repair, and then, "… while he was in the trailer, a gentleman jumped in the front seat," and drove off with the worker still in the back.

"He went about a quarter mile and I don't know if he got thrown out, or [if] he jumped out," Schieltz said.

After that, the chase was on. Schieltz's coffee cart has been on movie sets. He said that accounts for about 90% of his business, a business that's been going strong for nearly 30 years.

As workers cleaned up inside Robinson's studio, she said "the truck obviously slammed into the wall," and when it did, four panels of mirrors came crashing down in the dance studio, where children are taught about acting, dancing, singing and makeup.

Robinson said that during breaks, the kids go out to the patio, sit at tables, talk and have a good time. Robinson said that had the chase happened at a different time of day, the heavy patio fence would've come down on them. 

"This is our safe space, and we need to maintain that safe space, and it's not feeling like that anymore," Robinson said.

Robinson said the neighborhood has had all kinds of problems, from graffiti to robberies, stabbings and homelessness, and now this pursuit and crash-landing on her non-profit. 

"To bring that from miles away, what did he travel? Twenty-five miles to get here? To just run into our spot," Robinson said.

Robinson said it's time to find a new safe spot; a building where the kids and the staff can feel safe.

Both Robinson and Schieltz are raising funds to help their businesses recover. More information on Robinson's fundraiser can be found by tapping or clicking here, while information on Schieltz's can be found by tapping or clicking here.