January 3, 2022 5:49 PM
Posted: January 3, 2022 5:49 PM
PASCO, Wash. – As many people were celebrating the end of 2021, Sara Sanchez, a business owner in Pasco, spent New Year’s Eve cleaning up a mess left behind by thieves.
“It was heartbreaking,” she said.
Sanchez owns Singular Sheet Metal in Pasco.
She said days earlier, on two different days, two men came in, one at a time and acted suspicious.
“Asked to use the restroom and then he came out and grabbed some batteries and walked out the front door and just took off in a pickup truck. That was shocking in itself because it had never happened to us before and then the following day, another suspicious individual came in and was just walking around and texting. It’s not really usual for our customers to do that because they usually know what they’re coming in for; they get what they need and they leave,” she said.
Then, on the morning of New Year’s Eve, a pickup truck pulled up to the front of the store and backed in two times. This destroyed glass and pulled the frame out of the building.
In security camera footage, you see two men go into the store and steal tools and materials. Sanchez estimated they took around $3,000 worth of merchandise.
“It’s just not something I was expecting to come in and do on the first day of 2022 to come in and clean up glass and get everything back to normal. I think the damages are way more than what was actually taken,” she said.
Pasco Police said they have identified one suspect. It turns out, the pickup used was stolen and the suspect they’ve identified is wanted for other thefts and crimes all throughout the Tri-Cities. Police haven’t identified him but they are looking for the suspect.
Sergeant Pruneda with PPD said they were able to recover two stolen cars linked to the individual after they executed a search warrant at a home in Pasco.
“Feel a little bit better that maybe there’s hope these guys can be caught,” Sanchez said.
The business owner encourages others to keep their guards up and make sure their security and camera systems are working.
“Trust your gut and so if something’s off, don’t ignore your instincts,” she said.
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