PORTLAND, Ore. — Burglars stole around $15,000 of inventory from Red Castle Games early Sunday morning. Owners of the store said it marks the third time in recent months that the store has been broken into.
Owner Matthew Micetic said the burglaries have cost his store around $50,000. Much of that was covered by Micetic himself.
“I’m afraid to lose my business insurance at this point,” Micetic said.
Security footage showed two burglars enter the store just before 2 a.m. Sunday. After scoping out games in the store, video showed them using a crowbar to pry open a locked door, where valuable Magic and Pokemon trading cards were stored.
“I would ballpark it at at least $15,000 to $20,000 of that stuff," Micetic said.
Micetic said he has already spent $15,000 to replace broken windows from previous burglaries. He is unsure if Red Castle Games will continue to operate if break–ins exist.
"It’s not fun to be a small business owner when you have that hanging over your head," he said.
Micetic said it took Portland police four hours to arrive. Security footage showed the thieves continuing to loot the board games store for hours.
Other Southeast Portland store owners have also noticed an uptick in crime.
Thelma Aquino owns Kaah Market in the Portland Mercado. She said her store’s front door has been kicked in three times.
"We have to spend like $1,400 each time," Aquino said.
Southeast Portland residents said they have also seen an uptick in crime.
"It’s repeating, it’s all the time," Todd Littlefield, the vice chair of Lents Livability Neighborhood Association said. "It’s nonstop.”
Littlefield said crime has skyrocketed in recent years.
While Micetic hopes to keep the store open, he realizes there is only so much he’ll be able to take, financially.
"Probably this one we would survive," Micetic said. "But I don’t know if we would another one."