‘It鈥檚 getting worse’: More than 50 windows smashed in Tacoma’s ‘Antique Row’
May 19, 2024, 12:23 AM
More than a dozen businesses in Downtown Tacoma had their windows smashed early on Saturday, May 19, 2024. (Image courtesy of 成人X站 7)
(Image courtesy of 成人X站 7)
TACOMA, Wash. 鈥� More than a dozen businesses in Downtown Tacoma on Antique Row were vandalized early Saturday.
Police arrested a woman for allegedly smashing 56 windows from Broadway to Market along 鈥楢ntique Row.鈥� She was booked on charges of Malicious Mischief and Resisting Arrest.
鈥淚t happens from time to time but not on this magnitude,鈥� said Alan Gorsuch at .
Gorsuch鈥檚 shop is one of the 16 businesses hit around 3 a.m. on Saturday.
He says it鈥檚 going to cost upwards of $15,000 to fix seven of their damaged windows.
“It鈥檚 expensive, again. I replaced that one twice and now this will be the third time,鈥� Gorsuch explained.
He says the most frustrating part is that it keeps on happening.
“It鈥檚 getting worse because nothing鈥檚 done about it. And we don鈥檛 have and police presence in Downtown Tacoma anymore and these people know that so they do whatever they want to do,鈥� Gorsuch added.
More from Antique Row in Tacoma
It鈥檚 a heartbreaking sight for Mitch Barstead, who鈥檚 the owner of .
“Ruining people鈥檚 businesses that are trying to make money and we have enough obstacles on a daily basis to deal with this,鈥� he said.
Barstead told 成人X站 7 that the suspect struck 12 windows at his shop. He said the city offered to board it up at a cost.
“I said, well don鈥檛 touch my windows then. I鈥檓 not paying the city to board my windows up. We already have enough expenses with things,鈥� Barstead said.
Just a few shops down, surveillance video captured the same woman destroying the storefront at .
“This one鈥檚 more of the Picasso of the broken ones. We have this crack wrapped around the corner all around the Big Dawg,鈥� owner Alex Verchereau explained.
Verchereau鈥檚 shop windows have several cracks and holes that need to be repaired.
“Hopefully the rain doesn鈥檛 seep through and maybe we can get a window maybe in the next 6 months,鈥� he said.
Verchereau said it鈥檚 hard to see so much destruction in such a short amount of time.
“It was disheartening because we put a lot of effort into our business and unfortunately it seems like we don鈥檛 get the respect back from the community or some people in the community,鈥� he said.
He hopes the City of Tacoma can do more to protect these small businesses.
“Maybe we can have some sort of security that鈥檚 you know 24/7 or at least through the late nights,鈥� Verchereau said.
