SEATTLE — A beloved toy store in north Seattle is picking up the pieces after suspects smashed a truck into the business during an attempted break-in early Tuesday morning.
Police responded to Math'n'Stuff after a burglary attempt was reported around 4 a.m. Witnesses said two men in a white pick-up truck had arrived and tried to use power tools to break into the business. After the suspects could not enter the store, the suspects rammed the truck into the business, the Seattle Police Department said.
One witness said they appeared to have scared the suspects away. The suspects drove off after not getting past the front door. Math'n'Stuff had a metal gate behind the door which seems to have helped keep the truck from fully being able to gain entry.
Mikaela Wingard-Phillips, the general manager of Math'n'Stuff, said the store has been hit by crime 12 times within the last couple of years. The damages have cost up to $40,000 including Tuesday's attempted break-in.
"In the last 31 years we've been around, it's not common (but) in the last three years, it's been unfortunately very common," Wingard-Phillips said.
Wingard-Phillips said she's not necessarily upset by the people responsible for these crimes. Instead, she believes local leaders need to be better.
"Not be angry at the police or angry at the people doing this, but angry at the legislators who aren't fixing things," Wingard-Phillips said.
Despite the damage, the store is still open. Wingard-Phillips estimates it might cost up to $20,000 to properly install a new door.
Wingard-Phillips' parents opened the store in the 1990s.
"This was my mom's dream and it has become my dream and there's so much pain and violence and suffering in the world and we do our utmost to bring joy and happiness to the community," Wingard-Phillips said.
Wingard-Phillips shared a post on his Facebook page with additional images of the damage from the ramming.
"I don't have any more words," Math'n'Stuff said. "Rebuilding and the therapy required is so hard. My parents are in their mid-seventies, they haven't retired because they love the store too and want to help me keep it going. My dad has taken to carrying a machete in his front seat thinking he'll use it if he encounters the burglars. Why is this part of the reality we live in?"
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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