Lacey art business seeks support after burglary

LACEY, Wash. — A “devastating break-in” stripped a South Sound workforce space of $20,000 worth of heavy-duty equipment, but the crooks made mistakes that may help police crack the case.

The break-in at the Lacey MakerSpace on the Saint Martin’s University campus happened six days ago, and the non-profit says its ability to provide the public with welding equipment and power tools has been crippled.

The crooks spray-painted an outdoor surveillance camera, but what they either didn’t know or forgot about - was the cameras inside.

It wasn’t until they got inside that they saw the other camera. By then, it was too late.

“He went over here and grabbed a number of tools that were on this rack, and that’s when he saw the camera up there. Then he grabbed a piece of sheet and covered it up with a piece of metal,” said Operations Manager Ian Martin.

Martin says that happened as the man and his accomplice were gathering up whatever big tools they could find.

“They were in here for about an hour,” Martin said.  “Yeah, rifling through drawers and just grabbing everything they could, and then they staged everything here up at the front. Opened up the garage door from the inside and pulled the car up and loaded it up.”

And what a load it was, including a quartet of large welding machines.

“And to have something like this, to lose $20,000 of equipment, is a big hit for anybody, but especially a small nonprofit like us. It hurts,” said Executive Director Michelle Pope.

Pope says the crooks stole from a community work training space offering access to equipment that many people couldn’t afford on their own.

“Yeah, especially the welders that they took,” Pope said. “You know we had an entire suite of battery-powered hand tools and other items that got taken.”

Even before last Thursday’s break-in, the cameras outside the Lacey MakerSpace captured the man’s alleged accomplice appearing to case the place.

Unlike the suspected man, she wore no mask, kept on her unique clothing, and left exposed a distinctive tattoo on her neck.

That has the Lacey police believing they will find her and the man who was wearing the mask. If you know who they are, you are asked to contact the Lacey Police Department by phone at 360-704-2740 or online at Police2Citizen.

As for the MakerSpace, they are beefing up security and asking for donations to replace what was stolen.

You can visit their website at: laceymakerspace.org

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