HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — On Friday, Feb. 10, surveillance footage captured a criminal causing $20,000 worth of damage, in the form of vandalism and theft, to Henrico’s “Oddballs Collectibles and Claire’s Antiques.”
Oddballs is a store packed to the brim with unique gadgets, keepsakes, and relics. John Wells has owned the shop for ten years. It’s his pride, his joy and his baby.
“You watch it grow, watch it develop into what your vision of a store is,” Wells said.
However, he was in for a devastating surprising when last Friday he showed up to work and opened the door to see his business entirely ransacked.
“I quickly realized it was not going to be a normal Friday-day,” Wells recalled. “There was debris everywhere. Everything from our cabinets was thrown on the ground.”
A thief had broken in and caused an estimated $20,000 worth of damage. He notably targeted expensive Pokémon cards and big-ticket sports merchandise.
Security footage caught one masked man, but Wells suspects the crime could have been a larger, targeted, effort.
“I get up everyday and I work hard for my business,” Wells said. “This is how I feed my family, how I pay my employees, how I pay my mortgage my rent.”
While the criminal made himself at home by destroying the shop. Wells noted the value the place holds in his heart.
“This is how I live my life every day,” Wells said.
In addition to stealing and damaging merchandise, the thief also stole up to $2,000 worth of cash that was supposed to be donated to the Richmond SPCA. Wells said the money was inside an envelope with the message of the philanthropic purpose displayed prominently on its cover.
Although frustrated, Wells said he and his team will not allow the thief to hinder the business from continuing to grow and serve the community.
“I’ve been fighting for ten years and we will not let this thief come in and take that away from us,” Wells said.
Wells took a moment during his interview with 8News to address the criminal directly.
“We will catch you and not only will we catch you, but we will catch you with the help of our community,” Wells began. “I want you to understand, when you attack a small business you attack us all.”
This is an ongoing investigation. Those who care for the business are offering a reward for someone who may be able to accurately identify the thief from the surveillance video clip. The reward has increased over the past few days, growing from $1,000 to $2,000.
