Caught on camera: Tacoma skateboard and coffee shop burglarized

TACOMA, Wash. - The Tacoma Police Department (TPD) is investigating a burglary of a downtown skateboard and coffee shop that left a trail of destruction and thousands of dollars' worth of damage.

"I didn't know what to think," said Aaron Artis. "My heart just sank."

Artis is one of the co-owners of The Method , a skateboard and coffee shop in downtown Tacoma.

Overnight, someone backed a pickup truck into the storefront. It happened around 3:09 a.m. Friday.

"Two trucks, a lot of casing and a lot of effort for nothing," said Artis.

Video surveillance shows two dark-colored pickup trucks pull into the 800 block of Court A. One truck parks in a parking spot and then immediately backs into the store.

"It could have been a lot worse," said Artis. "We could have lost the coffee machine, a portion of the store or more."

Despite the damage, the thieves only stole one skateboard.

"It belonged to our intern Fin," said Artis. "If they would have just come in and asked for a skateboard, we probably would have given it to them. That's how much we love and encourage skateboarding."

The individuals caught on camera appear to be males, all dressed in black.

"They were in and out in a minute," said Artis.

The damage to the storefront is expected to cost at least $8,000.

"We can't dwell on the bad," said Artis. "We have to move forward. We have an art exhibit tomorrow."

The shop originally thought the thieves were targeting skateboards meant for the art installation.

"They could have taken a lot more," he said. "We're glad they didn't."

The Method will host its Skate of Art exhibit tomorrow starting at 4 p.m.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call TPD's non-emergency line (253) 287-4455.

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