Someone crashed a car into Tay Ho, a longtime Vietnamese restaurant in Oakland’s Chinatown, early Wednesday, causing major damage to the front of the business in what the restaurant described as an attempted burglary.

In a Facebook post, Tay Ho said the crash happened at 4:38 a.m. at the restaurant, located at 344 12th St. A GoFundMe page organized by Laurie Bertolacci said a car was deliberately driven into the restaurant three times before an alarm scared the intruders away.

Authorities had not publicly confirmed those details as of Wednesday afternoon. 

The Oakland Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

“We are shaken. We are hurt. But we are still here,” according to the post on the restaurant’s  Facebook page written by co-owner Denise Huynh. “Tay Ho is Oakland. And Oakland doesn’t quit.”

The fundraising page said the crash caused “significant damage” and that nothing was reported stolen. Photos appeared to show a shattered entrance, broken glass and debris inside the restaurant, which is on the corner of 12th and Webster streets

In the post, the owners also expressed frustration at the damage to a small business. 

“To whoever did this. What were you thinking?” Huynh wrote, adding that there are corporate-owned businesses nearby. The owners added that there was no money inside and never had been.

Tay Ho has operated in Oakland for 15 years and described itself in its post as a mother-daughter small business serving the Chinatown neighborhood.

The owners also cast the crash as part of a broader strain on small businesses in Oakland. 

“It’s like a war zone,” she said at the time.

More recent citywide figures suggest crime in Oakland has declined. According to preliminary police data, overall crime fell in 2025 and continued to decline in early 2026. Even so, some residents and business owners have said official data may not fully capture unreported nonviolent crime.

By Wednesday afternoon, the GoFundMe had raised more than $9,600 toward a $25,000 goal for repairs, a security gate and other recovery costs.

“To Oakland, we need you right now,” Huynh wrote. “Be kind to one another. Look out for your neighbors. This has got to stop.”