Two mom-and-pop shops on El Camino Real in Atascadero were vandalized over the weekend, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Surveillance cameras captured the glass window shattering outside Glenn’s Repair Shop just after 1 a.m. Sunday.
“Disappointed and upset that you know, somebody or some persons would just randomly start shooting windows out,” said Geoff Auslen, owner/president of Glenn’s Repair.
Auslen says it’s just another hit during already trying times.
“Coming off of COVID, we're all struggling,” Auslen explained. “No one is really thriving in the mom-and-pop world and you're trying to pay your bills and stay out of debt and keep the doors open.”
Auslen says it’ll be a $3,500 to $4,000 repair.
“So it takes away from either you making a living or donating money back to the community,” he said.
Meanwhile, a 5-minute drive away, Alle-Pia Fine Cured Meats was also hit by vandals over the weekend.
“This is the two holes that we did see when we came in yesterday,” said Tessa Varia, Alle-Pie office manager. “It looks like some sort of slingshot or metal ball that went through.”
The large window in front of the store was damaged along with the door.
“We don't know why,” Varia said.
The family-owned business says they’re not sure what time it happened but they were notified late Sunday afternoon.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Varia explained. “I mean, we try to do our best and help the community as well as be a part of it. We love the area. We love being a part of Atascadero in general, so to see something happen like this to us and to other businesses, it's just, it's heartbreaking.”
In both cases, nothing was taken from inside the stores, but several thousand dollars in damages was incurred.
Auslen says his surveillance cameras were able to capture a silver sedan possibly responsible for the vandalism.
City officials tell KSBY that in both cases, a slingshot was used, not a firearm.
No arrests have yet been made.
