‘Completely violated’: Video captures 7th break-in at Ballard jewelry store

BALLARD, Wash. — A Ballard jewelry store was broken into this week, marking the its seventh break-in within the past two years.

KIRO 7 News spoke with Kelsey Tarr, store manager of Begin in Ballard.

Tarr said the break-in happened on Tuesday around 3:30 a.m.

“I felt completely violated, which was how I felt when the last time this has happened about 11 months ago,” said Tarr. “Truly I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep this whole week since this incident. My nervous system has not been able to settle down.”

KIRO 7 News looked at surveillance footage capturing the moment three suspects were stealing jewelry.

Around $5,000 worth of items were stolen, and the damage left behind is estimated to be around $35,000 according to store owner MK Byrne.

Byrne learned about the break-in while she was away on vacation.

Byrne shared a statement with KIRO 7 News as she was returning to Ballard on Thursday.

“We feel so fortunate to have thriving businesses in such a beautiful and tight night community. Our customers make a point of supporting small businesses and together we’ve built a little village nestled in the city. As an artist, I feel so grateful to have a creative business in a historic space and a market for artisanal jewelry goods

However, since opening during the pandemic, I’ve suffered 7 attempted break-ins. The last robbery left my store in ruins - shards of glass everywhere and many one-of-a-kind, extremely difficult-to-source jewelry pieces stolen. Our inventory was ransacked and we lost days of revenue to cleaning up. This kind of loss can’t be replaced by an insurance settlement. As a team, it’s extremely emotionally difficult to feel your space is violated.

We are a small team and work hard to create a beautiful space to share with our community. Our w are so much more than how we make a living. They’re where we share our creative gifts and our community builds connection.

As an owner, I was incredibly inspired by the team that works with me when they responded to the crisis that occurred while I happened to be out of town. Kelsey Tarr, manager and lead anchor, responded to the alarm call at 3:30 a.m. met with officers, and secured the shattered door for the night. She’s new to her role but rose to the occasion in a profound way.

She and the team coordinated clean-up efforts and insurance documentation while insisting I try to enjoy the rest of my rare vacation with my partner. We both work long hours and hadn’t had two days off together in almost 2 years. The team was amazing in supporting us in every way they could while we were away. Other business owners in the community responded with an outpouring of support for anything else we might have needed.

The Ballard community is a community of truly special people who come together when things are tough. It’s because of that culture we survived the pandemic and I know we’ll get through this rash of break-ins that has continued to threaten our businesses.

We need to ensure criminals like this are properly prosecuted and stealing from our hard work isn’t a viable “career” for criminals. In my experience, Police have responded quickly, but this is a systemic problem we need to address at the root.”

Tarr said the store is planning to re-open on Friday.

Nearby businesses speak out

KIRO 7 News spoke with several small-business owners nearby to understand how the recent break-in affected the area.

Several small-business owners told KIRO 7 News that they were also victims of similar crimes within the past two years, including Diane Macrae, owner of Venue.

“It’s unsettling. It’s unsettling to all of us thinking what do we have to do? It’s not if it’s going to happen to our store, it’s when. When is it going to happen? Who’s next? And sometimes, honestly, I lose sleep at night thinking is it my store? Am I going to wake up in the morning and have glass everywhere and have the same thing?” Macrae shared with KIRO 7 News.

Macrae’s small business also experienced two break-ins in the past two years, losing around $50,000 worth of art in one incident, she said.

Another small-business owner told KIRO 7 News that while many small-business owners may have insurance, the rates go up after each break-in, leaving many owners struggling to stay afloat while navigating high inflation rates, supply chain issues, and staffing shortages.

KIRO 7 News reached out to Seattle police to get more details.

We’re still waiting to hear back.

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