MARRERO, La. — There is now a metal sheet in front of Westbank Hobbies in Marrero. The owner says someone backed a U-Haul into the business Saturday morning, crooks got out and started taking merchandise before taking off.
“Kind of hurt my heart,” said customer John Wilcox. “This is, I guess you could say, our church.”
Customers of the shop, which specializes in selling and repairing remote control cars, were shocked and saddened by the news.
“For someone to come back a truck through the door… all they had to do was come in and ask the man (the owner) and he’d probably just would have given it to them,” Wilcox said.
The owner, Thomas Alwell, says the crooks only got away with about $2,000 worth of stuff, but caused more than $8,000 worth of damage — a major blow especially just days before Christmas.
“This is where I make my money for the year and I am hoping I can still do that,” Alwellsaid. “It’s hard to really explain (how I am feeling). You work all your life and you get something and someone wants to just take it away.”
Recently, we’ve seen smash and grab robberies at retail stores across the country, including several throughout California. Alwell says he is just thankful no one was hurt and for his friends who all showed up over the weekend to help him clean up.
“I do have some great friends who actually came together on Saturday evening and helped me put up this wall,” Alwell said.
Alwell says he will be back open on Tuesday. As the investigation continues, Alwell has a message for whoever did this.
“I think they need to get a job, just like everybody else,” Alwell said. “Earn a living instead of stealing from someone who is.”
Call Crimestoppers if you think you might know who was behind the crime.