Thousands of dollars of equipment stolen from Spanaway tattoo shop
SPANAWAY, Wash. - Investigators with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department are looking to identify an individual caught on camera burglarizing Fat Kat Art Studio Thursday, Jan. 16.
"Seeing someone on camera just come through and take your stuff like that, it hurts," said tattoo artist Rachel Hontz.
What we know:
Hontz is one of at least six artists who were affected by the crime.
"He stole gloves, needles, machines," said Hontz. "It’s not like this stuff was just given to us. We’ve worked really hard for this.
Fat Katz owner, Anna "Peanut" Knowlton told FOX 13 the suspect was in and out in four minutes.
"He decimated us," said Knowlton. "We had multiple machines taken, iPads, a lot of supplies. We’re talking thousands of dollars. Now we need to recoup and that on top of upgrading our security.
Fellow artist Daniel Brown told FOX 13 it’s not just the monetary loss that hits hard. There’s also the sentimental value of items.
"This is the second time I’ve experienced a theft," he said. "I had my first machine that I started with taken. I had a machine that my grandpa bought me. You can get that stuff back."
Unsure if they'll retrieve their stolen tools, Fat Kat is putting the suspect on blast. Posting his photos on social media along with the car he got away in.
"We believe it’s stolen," said Brown. "It looks like a red Acura NSX. He also had someone else with him."
In the meantime, the shop has launched a crowdsourcing campaign to help recover lost tools. You can donate here.
Anyone with information on the crime is encouraged to contact the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department non-emergency line at 253-287-4455.
The Source: Information used in this story was from the Pierce County Sheriff's Department.
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