The Linda Vista community was stunned at the passing of the owner of popular donut shop Rose Donuts.
Robert Taing was the owner of Rose Donuts, a popular local donut shop on Linda Vista Road. The 37-year-old Rose Donuts location is to be closed indefinitely. Their alternate other location on Linda Vista Road is separately owned and is still open for business according to a food blog SanDiegoVille report.
A sign was posted outside the shop, reading “Closed indefinitely until further notice. Thank you for understanding.” The alternate location has been closed since Saturday April 6, according to SanDiegoVille.
Taing called his son to alert him of the break-in. Taing was found unconscious and severely beaten during a home invasion on April 5, according to NBC7 San Diego. When police arrived on the scene, Taing was not breathing and had suffered trauma to his upper body, according to SanDiegoVille. Taing was on life support until he passed away on the evening of Monday April 8.
According to an article by ABC10 News Taing’s safe was stolen during the home invasion. The home is on Ashford street near Lindbergh Neighborhood Park. Local businesses owners started a fundraiser in honor of the late business owner, alongside a Gofundme campaign. Yelp San Diego, together with SimSim Outstanding Shawarma owner Nawar Miri, raised funds for the Taing family.
Half of the proceeds of the fundraiser held at Simsim Outstanding Shawarma were donated to Taing’s family. The restaurant raised $2,187 for Taing’s family, according to Fox5 San Diego. The proceeds will go towards helping with the funeral expenses, loss of income for the family and the medical expenses from the incident.
Fox5 San Diego’s article quoted Brad Bohensky’s Yelp comment, “From my perspective, when I was looking at all the reviews and how many people within San Diego just loved him for the daily welcome or how much he made them smile, or that extra doughnut hole he put in the bag, he meant a lot.”
A memorial of flowers and cards were placed outside Rose Donuts after the news of Taing’s passing. The memorial is just one example of the impact of Taing’s death on the community. The San Diego Police Department still seeking information on any suspects or any information regarding Taing’s assault.
Many people, including San Diego Mesa College students, felt a connection to Rose Donuts and its late owner. Taing has provided a service to a massive community and touched many people in his time. Mesa student Bella Dupree, 18, said, “Mr. Taing was a well known person in our community and it still doesn’t feel real when I think about it.” Others in the community shared their feelings with hand-written notes placed outside the store.
According to the Fox5 article, Lt. Matt Dobbs of the SDPD said that the victim was found alone in his home when he was injured and never regained consciousness. The SDPD confirmed the robbery occurred around 11:50 a.m. on Friday April 5.
