PORTLAND, Oregon — A Portland antique stove dealer said he's had enough after a weekend spent fighting off crooks.
Buck Froman has owned Buck’s Stove Palace on Southeast 68th and Foster Road since 1974. But after a rash of recent thefts and a black eye, he's thinking about closing.
“They've taken historical stoves from the Civil War, just all kinds of things,” said Froman, 75. “And it's not one person, this has been going on.”
Froman said, the majority of the break-ins happened about a mile-and-a-half away from his store at a storage property on Southeast 92nd and Foster Road. He’s been using the space to store some of his treasured antique stoves but is in the process of moving them. Over the weekend, he said several people used bolt cutters to break into the fenced-off area. He said it even happened twice in one day, after Froman replaced the lock.
“They cut the locks again,” he said.
Froman said one crook drove a pickup truck through the chain link fence, knocking it to the ground.
“He hit it about 40 miles per hour, tore off the bumper,” said Froman.
Froman called the police but said he was told officers couldn't come in person due to staffing issues, but they took down a report. Froman said at one point, he tried to confront the crooks himself, but ended up falling and hitting his face.
“I got the black eye,” said Froman. “I tried to chase and I tripped on the cut-up chain link fence.”
Froman said he’s been doing his best to load up and move the stoves somewhere else. He even parked a U-Haul truck he was using at the site, hoping it would keep people out by blocking the entrance. It hasn't.
“They came three or four times!” said Froman. “I can't handle it. It's killing me emotionally and mentally. That's why I'm trying to get the stoves back.”
Froman said, he wishes things were different. He loves Portland, but not what he's dealing with now. He said he'll stay open through the season but after that, he may close most of his retail business and stay open a couple days a week. He added that none of his plans are certain at this point.
“I'm losing it and that's why I ran after those people,” said Froman. “I just could not take anymore.”