ARLINGTON, Wash. — Not every family can afford food to put on the table for the holidays this year.
That is why Arlington Community Food Bank is joining other groups across Western Washington offering free Christmas hams and other groceries for Washington families.
On Friday, however, their generosity was met with cruelty when a thief raided Arlington Community Food Bank's outdoor refrigerator.
Arlington Police Department found and arrested the man Friday. Police said the suspect had multiple warrants out for his arrest when they took him into custody. He is in Snohomish County Jail, facing multiple charges, including burglary.
Until they can get their hands on some replacement parts for their refrigerator, Arlington Food Bank staff have had to get creative by using a forklift to place a giant slab of stone in front of the door to protect the food bank’s perishables from thieves.
Carla Rankin, executive director of Arlington Community Food Bank, said it looks like he damaged the door's heavy-duty handle to get in.
"It looks like he hit it, maybe with a sledgehammer," Rankin said. "They took about six cases of the Kirkland brand hams.”
Rankin said that equates to about 25 hams.
But that's not all.
"Six cases of yogurt," Rankin said. "I think he also took a case of sour cream and cottage cheese. 600 gallons of milk and enough eggs for 600 households."
Milk and eggs are considered expensive products for a food bank, she said.
Surveillance video shows a man walking in and out of the fridge and dropping food cases into the back of a truck without a license plate.
"Anything that he could have wanted, he could have come in the front door," Rankin said.
Arlington Food Bank leaders said this has never happened to them; let alone on a year like this, when they’re already stretched thin.
"Thanksgiving, we served 889 households compared to 494 last year," Rankin said.
The executive director said she was "stunned" when she got the call saying they'd been robbed Friday morning.
The timing was particularly inconvenient. She said their holiday spirits were dampened on the same morning they’d launched their holiday distribution.
"Our holiday spending budget is significantly more than the rest of the year, because we get all the essentials, so you could have a nice holiday dinner," Rankin said. "And that's what he made the impact on."
She said it is unclear what the suspect planned to do with nearly $1,000 worth of yogurt, ham and other perishables.
"I just, I don't understand," Rankin said.
What is certain, however, is Arlington police wasted no time in going after the suspect.
"They kind of lost him probably on some logging roads, but they-they instilled k9 units and drones and were able to locate him," Rankin said.
As the suspect remains in custody, Arlington Community Food Bank is left with potentially thousands in repairs.
"I'm not sure yet," Rankin said. "We maybe even have to replace the whole [refrigerator] door. We were still able to distribute yesterday. What will happen is, next Friday or the last distribution, we will run short, so we hope to replenish it by then."
Still, Rankin said one is going to hinder their giving spirit this season.
"We're strong," Rankin said. "We're resilient. We learned that during COVID."
Rankin is considering adding some security features in the wake of this theft. The food bank is hoping for monetary donations to help them build a perimeter fence.