PITTSBURGH — A handful of business owners in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood woke up and found out that the windows of their front doors had been shattered. They’re hoping surveillance video and awareness leads to an arrest.
“It was just glass everywhere,” said Picket Fence owner Maureen Staley.
Maureen Staley has owned Picket Fence on Walnut Street for 16 years. Besides the shattered glass, she says the person also took her cash register.
“It was in the neighbor’s yard on Ellsworth Avenue,” said Staley. “Senseless act. They just got cash. That’s what they wanted.”
In surveillance video, you can hear and see a person throw a rock at the Shadyside Variety Store’s front door.
“We’ve never had an issue with G-20, all the protests that have happened over the years,” said Staley. “Nobody’s ever touched the small businesses on the street. I guess we’re fortunate in that way, but it’s unfortunate that this happened because it’s all small businesses that were hit.”
At least three other businesses including Kawaii Gifts were hit around 5 a.m. Friday. But a couple days ago, on Wednesday, another security video captured someone carrying the drawer of a cash register on Telegraph Way, right around the time Angela’s Cafe was targeted.
“I feel like we might have been a trial run to see how easy it was,” said Richard Coursey, with Angela’s Cafe. “Because it makes a really loud noise. You can actually hear it on the camera when this window broke. It sounded almost like a rifle going off.”
Richard Coursey and Maureen Staley hope this spree stops with them.
“I really hope that the police catch this guy or do something because I don’t think he’s going to stop at this,” said Coursey. “He seems rather brazen.”
The 25th Annual Shadyside Art Festival is Aug. 27 and 28 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
If you know anything about this recent crime spree, contact Pittsburgh police.
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