Pasadena police are investigating the burglary of a popular new Pasadena bookstore, Octavia’s Bookshelf, and neighboring business Acai Bar on Hill Avenue.

In the early hours Monday, someone kicked in the bookstore door and took the cash drawer, owner Nikki High wrote in an Instagram post. To quell public distress, High added that she and her employees were unharmed and safe.

“I’m just so blown away by your compassion and your care,” High said. “We are OK.”

She also struck a resilient tone about her new store.

“I’m in complete shock and so sad this happened,” she wrote. “We will not be intimidated, we will not be deterred.”

High declined to comment beyond her statements on her social media posts. Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian confirmed a police investigation was ongoing.Octavia’s Bookshelf opened its doors earlier this year to much fanfare as High vowed to dedicate the shelf space solely to authors of color.

As such, the space is named after Black science fiction author and Pasadena legend Octavia Butler, whose literature is a staple of Afrofuturism, a cultural philosophy combining science, history and speculative fiction that explores the intersection of the African diaspora.

In her statement, High said that on a previous occasion, dog feces was left on the Octavia’s Bookshelf doorstep, but she was unclear if it was related to the break-in. Given that two businesses were burglarized, as of Friday the incident was not being investigated as racially motivated, Derderian said.

An adjacent business, Tac-Tile Mountain, was not burglarized, and co-owner Nico Yaryan believes it is because of the additional security advertised on his storefront.

Yaryan said he watched the footage captured by Acai Bowl’s security cameras and noted the burglar’s behavior did not appear erratic.

“It seemed like they knew what they were doing, and that this wasn’t a random act,” Yaryan said.

High added that while not much cash was stolen, she has increased security at the bookstore. Acai Bowl did not respond for comment.

“If I can ask for anything else it would just be to continue to support Octavia’s Bookshelf in the work that we’re doing here,” High said. “It’s superimportant to me and to our community … I’m OK — I’m really sad, but I’m OK.”

Both businesses are off Washington Boulevard on Hill Avenue in the Brigden Ranch neighborhood in northeast Pasadena.

“We’ll continue to be open business as usual — so onward,” High added.