'They almost killed him': Store owner's skull fractured, his blood smeared across floor after armed robbers brutally beat him

A downtown Los Angeles clothing store owner was hospitalized after being viciously beaten and pistol-whipped by two armed robbers, and he said he will never reopen his store due to the attack.

ABC 7 reported Frankly Salerno, owner of Kloudpusherz clothing store, was hospitalized after surveillance footage captured two men beat him inside of his store. A second victim was allegedly beaten in an off-camera altercation.

Salerno's blood was spilled across the floor as his attackers punched, kicked, and hit him with a brandished firearm while robbing him of his watch, bracelet, and chain. Outside surveillance video showed the attackers running to a sedan that was parked nearby.

The man suffered "multiple skull fractures, eye socket fracture, nose fractures, a broken finger," said Salerno's girlfriend, Ivana Octaviani. "I went to the store on Thursday when the police was there, saw so much blood on the floor. I don't even want to walk in," Octaviani added.

The robbery occurred shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, according to the LAPD.

Salerno did not wish to appear on camera with the local outlet, but several photos were shared with the news station showing him laying in a hospital bed with several staples in his head from being struck with a gun.

Octaviani also said that Salerno does not plan on opening the store again. "I said, 'What do you want to do about the store?' He said, 'I'm not going to step foot into that store anymore," she explained.

"It's not just a regular robbery, they almost killed him," Octaviani continued. "Literally almost killed him. He's lucky he doesn't have any brain damage."

Octaviani set up a GoFundMe page for her injured boyfriend, which originally had a set goal of $5,000 to pay for his medical bills. The goal has since been updated to $20,000 as donations have surpassed $12,000 at the time of this publication.

"Franky has been discharged from the hospital. He still has a long road for recovery. We have a few appointment with doctors - ophthalmologist, orthopedic, and I’m looking for therapist as well to help with his mental well being," the page read.

"He’s getting better… and I hope he can go back to his old self soon," the fundraiser added.