PUEBLO — Business owners in Pueblo are concerned about recent vandalism downtown. They say several stores along North Santa Fe Avenue had their windows broken, including The Great Divide Ski, Bike and Hike.
Shattered glass leaves a mess as it covers the sidewalk outside The Great Divide Ski Bike And Hike in Pueblo. Lee Newhard has owned the shop for years.
“I’ve been an owner for 40 years and we’ve been in different locations, and this one, this one, we’ve been here since 1991,” Newhard said.
He said that in all his years of business he had never experienced this before.
“We’ve had one window that was broken or broken in, but never, ever a dozen windows at once,” Newhard said.
But this October, Newhard said he came to work to find the glass covering the sidewalk and 12 of his store front windows broken.
Great division Skiing, cycling and hiking
“We just couldn’t believe it when it happened,” Newhard said.
He thinks they were killed.
“A shotgun, a BB gun, yeah, some of that stuff. Because nothing, nothing penetrated the glass, it just broke out,” Newhard said.
He said the tempered glass that many of the car windows are made of is the same glass used in his shop windows. When they break, the window will shatter into thousands of small pieces.
Great division Skiing, cycling and hiking
Newhard replaced 12 windows that were originally broken. But just days after the new windows were installed, three more windows were broken again.
“I was so happy that all the windows were replaced when they finished them, and then a few days later I came to work and saw these three had been kicked out. I just couldn’t believe it,” Newhard said.
The shock struck again this Tuesday when Newhard noticed the new tag seen below on his upper windows.
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Three more windows were broken overnight. This is the third incident this month.
“I was just surprised when it came to business, I saw the damage,” Newhard said.
Eleanor Sheahan
This damage is costing him thousands. He said the insurance covers almost $14,000, but he will have to pay at least $8,000.
“We were paid by the insurance company in the first round. Like I said, this (second incident) is not going to be enough to get you insurance,” Newhard said.
In October, 19 of Newhard’s windows at his business were shot at. His shop is not the only one.
Eleanor Sheahan
“The windows on Wilcox and Buick were busted out, and there’s a building at 12th and Santa Fe owned by Parkview where those windows were busted out in that circle and then behind me here across the street. Some of the windows were cracked on the tattoo shot behind us,” Newhard said.
His neighbor’s front window was also shot and broken.
Eleanor Sheahan
“They shot a bunch of everything,” Newhard said.
Newhard filed a police report with the Pueblo Police Department.
A Pueblo police spokesperson provided News5 with this statement:
“Since January 1, only four cases of pellet and/or BB gun damage have been recorded. A large division in the evening was damaged, additional businesses were damaged; however this may be an isolated event by one person.”
Pueblo Police Department
Police are advising business owners to protect their stores with security systems and cameras so they can review footage for clues.
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