“It’s just discouraging. It is. It’s just hard,” Lopez said, with tears brimming in her eyes. “I love what I do, but Jiminy Christmas, it’s hard. It’s just hard because the next day you come in and it’s just like the wind’s out of your sails.”
She’s owned Lee Ann’s Dairy Delight at 619 E. High St. for more than nine years, and in that span of time Springfield police have recorded 15 break-in reports. In most cases, the thieves bust out a window to gain entry, despite newly installed bars and screens. Many end up empty-handed because Lopez said she doesn’t leave money in the store.
But someone slipped through a customer window late Wednesday or early Thursday morning, stealing $10 in change, several cans of soda and a hand gun Lopez kept for protection.
Each break-in costs her hundreds of dollars out of pocket because her insurance deductible is $1,000.
She taped a sign to the door telling people to stop breaking in because there’s “nothing of value” inside. But the thefts keep happening, and Lopez said it distracts her from focusing on growing her ice cream business.
Harvey Bank, president of the East High Street Historic Neighborhood Association where the store is located, said neighborhood watches have been organized in the past. But Bank said low participation made them unfeasible.
Someone just stole the grill from his home this week.
“There’s too many rentals and not enough occupiers,” Bank said. “I sympathize with (Lopez) but we have too many landlords not being careful (about) who they rent to.”
Lopez hopes her neighbors and customers will keep an eye out, and potential thieves will learn they’re not doing anything more than making it hard to do business.
“I’ll just keep plugging along but the break-ins, that’s what’s really just amazing to me, especially when there’s nothing in here to steal,” she said.
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