LACEY, Wash. — Gabi’s Olympic Cards and Comics in Lacey was targeted for the third time in three years during a break-in Wednesday night.
The attempted break-in involved a suspect using a large rock to smash a door. The owner, Gabrielle Shephard, says nothing was stolen from this break-in, but it’s the third time they’ve had an incident like this in the past few years.
There is damage at both the comic shop and her outreach center, leading to growing concerns from the community, according to Shepard.
Shepard said the financial impact of such incidents is significant; she previously faced nearly $100,000 in damages from an earlier break-in in which a truck crashed into the store.
“Yeah. I’m not loving it,” she said, emphasizing her frustration over having to deal with the aftermath time and again.
The latest break-in not only disrupted business operations, but also drained resources that Shephard could have used to support community services.
“The money that I have to use to fix the hut and things like that is money that comes out of money that I use for the things that we need to serve the community,” she said.
Customer support for the store remains strong, with many locals expressing concern for Shephard’s business.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders took to social media to voice his disappointment, saying: “This is literally one of the most generous businesses out there – stop breaking their stuff.”
Even amid the challenges, the community’s connection endures.
“We are very lucky to have the community that we have and things like this happen and it really stinks, but it doesn’t take away from the community that we’ve built,” Shephard noted, reminding everyone of the bonds locals have formed.
Lacey police are investigating the incident, with updates on who caused the damage still pending.