KENT, Wash. — A new business in the City of Kent is working to rebound after a major setback. Early Sunday morning, burglars went through the building and took what they wanted.
Teachers at Balance Hot Yoga have been counting down to opening day.
"This is just the beginning of something amazing that we are going to build here with this community,” said Angeline Corpuz.
But Sunday morning delivered a major delay when burglars broke in through the front door.
"I was shocked at first, I just was in disbelief,” said Corpuz. "They drove to the back, loaded their car, and took a whole lot of stuff."
From tools to toilets and fixtures to a fireplace, so many things the yoga studio was counting on are now gone.
“It just sets us back from being able to offer this to the community,” said teacher Vanessa Simpson.
"I feel like now that things are pushed back with us opening, even time was taken from us,” said Corpuz.
In July, Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla told city council members about the numbers. There were more than 500 commercial burglaries last year, and 300 reported in the first half of this year.
"We had a series of window breaks, smash and grabs. If you remember, we were having entire sections of roadway businesses damaged; those really escalated the numbers back then,” said Chief Padilla.
“What we're looking at -- is okay, this happened, what are the steps that we need to do in order to move forward,” said Simpson.
"We still have hope that we can have an amazing presence here, and still do what we set out here to do,” said Corpuz.
So far, no arrests have been made. An online fundraiser has been started to help Balance Hot Yoga open its doors.