Police arrest suspect in overnight burglary, vandalism in downtown Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A candy store and a fast-food restaurant were two downtown business repairing damage from a burglary and apparent vandalism overnight Sunday.
The owner of the Candy Bar, near the intersection of Bijou and Tejon streets, said police called her at around 4 a.m. Monday to notify her of the situation.
According to the owner -- Elva Wolin -- police told her that a male suspect used a parking meter to break most of the panes of glass at the front of the store, leaving shattered glass on the floor and sidewalk.
The store's surveillance video recorded images of the suspect breaking in. Police confirmed later on Monday that they arrested a juvenile on charges of second-degree burglary, theft, criminal mischief and obstructing a peace officer.
"He took candy, drinks from the soda cooler and stuffed animals," the owner said. "He stuffed them into a trash can and several boxes, and tried to drag them away. There were items all over the sidewalk."
Also broken was door glass at the Wendy's restaurant near the intersection of Platte Avenue and Wahsatch Street.
By noon, the broken glass had been cleaned up and the broken windows had been boarded up.
A repair crew at the candy shop replaced the door glass but said replacing larger panes with safety glass would take around two weeks. The store was closed for much of the day but was expected to reopen in the afternoon.
Karen Walldorf was among many customers disappointed by the circumstances surrounding the store's closing.
"We were going on a special trip, just me and my daughter, to get some candy at the candy shop," she said. "We'd never been here before. It's a little unfortunate."
Wolin has owned Candy Bar for 12 years; it's next door to the former location of Michelle's, a longtime candy store that closed in 2007.
"It's been an uphill battle," she said. "My husband died of cancer two years ago, then there's the pandemic, then the downtown protesters and now this."
