ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — The owners of a St. Petersburg small business are asking the community for help to find the person who smashed in one of their shop windows and it was all caught on camera.
Marina Williams and her husband own Artpool Gallery Vintage Clothing Boutique and Vinyl Records Store in downtown St. Petersburg. This April will make 14 years in this location.
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Early Monday morning, surveillance video shows a man riding a skateboard past the business. Seconds later he comes back, throws his skateboard through the glass window, pick it up and leave.
“The past couple days were just tough to swallow, it’s tough to watch the video and see that happen at our home for over 14 years,” Williams said. “We were really sad and distraught this could happen to our shop.”
Williams says although the man didn’t take anything, it’s still a huge blow. They were forced to close for a year and a half and transition online. They’re trying to get things back up and running, and know repairs will cost them a bit.
“It was really sad to see our small business, in this time where for having any mom and pop is a hardship,” Williams said.
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Williams says this is a minor setback, and they’re ready to move forward, hopefully with the community backing them up.
“There’s always something good that comes from something hard, so I think it’s important in life to focus on that,” Williams said. “The most important thing no one was hurt.”
Williams says four or five years ago someone broke the same window. They have talked with police about this latest incident.
You can help with repairs here.