KENT, Wash. — The Balance Hot Yoga Studio set to open in Kent, was broken into Sunday and thieves made off with assorted tools and two of their toilets.
“We are at a point now where they literally stole the toilets that are in the boxes,” Co-owner Angela Papini said.
Papini says their fireplace set to be installed was also stolen.
The studio has filed a report with Kent Police and Papini plans to come into town from Idaho over the weekend to do a full assessment of the theft and damage.
She believes as of now, the value is more than $20,000.
“We just had to have the locks replaced and the hardware replaced. That was just in the last two days which is $4,000,” Papini said.
But several neighboring businesses to Balance Hot Yoga say break-ins and vandalism happen more often than people think.
One business says they have spent thousands of dollars in recent years to fix damaged doors and broken windows.
“And I don’t know who I can talk to. I wish I had somebody that I can share and talk to them and protect our salon,” one store owner said.
Balance Hot Yoga has several other studios in Western Washington.
Papini says the studio was set to open by the end of the month. She says that even with this setback, they still plan to achieve that goal.
“We are still going to push for opening this month. That’s our goal,” Papini said.
Papini says while they still plan to move forward, she believes it will take a community effort to help them get through this tough time.
“Because we want to be able to hold space and be together as a community to support one another when times are hard,” Papini said.
Kent Police told KIRO7 they do have extra patrol in the area to help curb some of the crime.
Anyone with any information on who broke into the Balance Hot Yoga Studio is urged to give Kent PD a call.
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