Several small businesses on Capitol Hill dealing with repeated break-ins

SEATTLE — In Seattle’s Capitol Hill district, several small businesses are dealing with repeated break-ins. On Wednesday evening, the Tea Addicts shop had its front door smashed open and its safe stolen. It’s the shop’s second break-in in six months.

“It’s really scary to think about it,” says employee Matt Yamamoto. “I especially feel bad for my managers. Because they have to deal with it all over again.”

On Thursday morning, just a block away, Life on Mars, a vegan restaurant, had one of its doors shattered.

“It’s really disheartening at this point. We’ve been broken into several times now. Feels like the 10th time, it’s probably the fifth or sixth,” says restaurant manager Annie Arrasmith.

Next door, a chocolate shop managed to avoid recent break-ins but wrote on its Facebook page in December about being vandalized in the past.

Even with many businesses in the area installing security cameras, reinforced doors, and alarms, it hasn’t been enough to deter vandals. Some business owners tell KIRO 7 that the repeated break-ins have cost them thousands of dollars in damages.

Arrasmith credits the Capitol Hill community for helping businesses cope with the uptick in crimes.

“There’s people surrounding us that lend their support when it’s necessary. And it’s going to be necessary for all of us trying to do this for a while.”

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