One comic book store targeted in a string of robberies is seeking justice for the crime against them, and they’re doing it with a super sense of humor.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) — A Louisville comic shop is one of three small businesses hit in a Thanksgiving Day smash and grab.
The break-in happened just before 2 a.m. Thursday. The owners of Pop’s Comics and Collectibles said a cell phone alert woke them up.
“Our phone went off, saying that our alarm system had gone off,” Heather Messmer said.
Security video shows a person smashing through the front door, jumping over the counter, and trying to get into an employees-only area.
“He tried to get in the back, he couldn’t get in the back, and the alarms were going off and I guess it was slowing him down, so he just grabbed the register and took off,” the owner said.
Messmer said the incident was frustrating on several levels.
The Thanksgiving thief forced them to spend the early hours of their holiday working with police, and the damage to the store likely cost more than what was stolen from the register.
“The cash was about $200,” Messmer said. “The door, we’re still waiting on the bill because we had to have someone come out in the night on a holiday, so I’m sure that’s not going to be cheap.”
They were not the only victims.
LMPD confirmed two more robberies that morning at Comic World and Fat Rabbit Vintage.
Security video from Fat Rabbit appears to show the same thief trying to break in just before 5:15 a.m.
LMPD has not commented on the suspect’s identity or if they’ve been caught.
Pop’s Comics says they’re using humor to cope, especially because this isn’t the first time they’ve been robbed.
“We got broken into a couple years ago, and the guy just stole a $15 pack of Pokémon cards,” Messmer said. “We’ve unfortunately learned how to handle situations like this.”
The store is using the incident to promote their business online, posting jokes about “door-buster deals” throughout Black Friday weekend.
Messmer said calling out the thief publicly might help identify them, and any extra business from social media attention could help cover the cost of the damage.
The staff also said they’re finding joy in turning the crime into a punchline.
“We did another video of him, and telling him that we have his ‘doohickey’ — it’s what we call what he broke in the door with,” the owner said.
In the same video, they demand the robber return the cash register along with a personal item inside: a miniature Funko Pop figurine of Marvel’s Black Widow.
They said that part is no joke.
“Fair trade. We will give him his ‘doohickey’ back, if he brings us our ‘Pocket Pop’ that was in our register,” Messmer said. “It’s just on principle.”
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