A Maple Ridge store has been targeted again by vandals, making it the third time in about 18 months.
Around 4 a.m. on Saturday, a man dressed in black smashed the windows at Once Upon A Tea Leaf on 224th Street.
“The scary part is that he had something else in his hand,” co-owner Taryn Stephenson told Global News.
“And after the history that we’ve had, of bear spray being thrown in the store, and then a pyrotechnic device, smoke bomb, it just felt a little too similar.”
Once Upon a Tea Leaf has been hit three times in just over a year.
Stephenson said she doesn’t know who could be targeting her.
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“It’s scary. If I’m being honest, it feels targeted. It feels intentional. It doesn’t feel like petty crime or just basic vandalism. It’s scary, and it feels like harassment, and it feels like it’s not going to stop.”
Each time the community has stepped up to show support for the business and Stephenson said she is so grateful for that.
“It’s unfortunate because there are not very many things in downtown Maple Ridge that, you know, (have) good shopping,” customer Allisa Petty told Global News.
“So it would suck if it got driven out of here.”
The person was not able to break the windows on Saturday morning due to security film but the glass will need to be replaced and the insurance claim is still being sorted from the previous attack.
Ridge Meadows RCMP said no arrests have been made and the police continue to investigate.
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