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Family-owned business in Southeast Portland hit by burglars three times since mid-January

The owner of Disc Heroes tells KGW the burglars got away with a lot of inventory — primarily comics and Magic: The Gathering cards.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Comics, Magic: The Gathering cards and disc golf equipment is what Portlanders can find inside Disc Heroes, a shop owned and operated by John Thomas and his wife, in Southeast Portland. 

"I call myself semi-retired," Thomas said. "You don't get rich doing this, but it's what I love to do."

That says a lot consider the events of the last few weeks.

Thomas said his store located near the intersection of SE 162nd Avenue and Division Street has been broken into three times since mid-January.

"I think they're an organized crime ring of some sort," Thomas said.

The work of the organized crime ring, as Thomas calls it, was captured on security cameras mounted inside and outside the store. Thomas said that over the course of the three break-ins the burglars got away with a lot of inventory.

Credit: John Thomas
Damage from one of the three break-ins.

"It was well over $30,000 but I don't want to give specific numbers because we're still working with insurance companies but it was well over $30,000 in profit," Thomas said.

"I get a lot of anxiety from it," Aleesa Thomas said. "I feel invaded. He takes it much better than me."

Since the most recent break-in earlier this week, the Thomas family has taken extra safety precautions but they wonder if they need to do even more.

"I've thought about sitting here overnight this next week but not armed or anything, just sit here and see if they'll try again," Thomas said.

Credit: Mike Benner, KGW staff
John Thomas working in Disc Heroes on February 3, 2023.

Thomas hopes he has seen the last of the burglars. Regardless, he pledges they will not keep him from operating the business he loves so much.

"Not caving," Thomas said. "That would be giving in to the crooks."

Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the Portland Police Bureau.

A family member has launched a Go Fund Me to help the Thomas family recover from the break-ins.

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