The intruder entered through a back door and broke through shared walls to access neighboring businesses.
AUSTIN, Texas — Several businesses in an East Austin strip mall are facing damage and financial loss following a string of break-ins that occurred last week. The incidents have left walls boarded up and some calling for increased security in the area.
Brass Ovaries Studio was among the businesses broken into near U.S. 290 and Interstate 35. Owner Natasha Bajic said she learned of the break-in early Wednesday morning. Upon arriving, she said she expected to find broken mirrors and damaged equipment. Instead, she discovered two large holes in the walls of her studio rooms.
“It’s personally violating not only to me, but my students, my staff and employees,” she said. “Because somebody was up in here for quite a while.”
According to Bajic, the intruder entered through the studio’s back door and broke through shared walls to access neighboring businesses, including Thundercloud Subs and Knuckleheads Smoke Shop.
Security footage from Knuckleheads shows a masked individual in a white hoodie crawling through the smoke shop’s bathroom and disabling the cameras. Manager Jessica Edwards said the suspect appeared to know the layout of the store and used an electric saw to access a safe.
“They probably got around $31,000 to $32,000,” Edwards said, citing losses from the safe, register and other cash kept on-site.
Edwards said this is not the first time Knuckleheads has seen an incident like this. She said the store has experienced at least four break-ins during her two years there.
“I’ve always been a little on edge,” she said. “I keep protection back here for myself. I’m always afraid I’m going to get robbed at gunpoint at some time.”
Edwards is now urging police to step up patrols in the area. Meanwhile, Bajic said the break-in left more than property damage; it left a financial hit they didn’t expect. Brass Ovaries has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover expenses.
“It was an unexpected excitement from the universe, but an unexpected bill too,” she said. “It’s falling right when our payroll is due.”
KVUE reached out to the Austin Police Department for more details on the incident.
