It's been a rough couple of months for the Arrow Coffeehouse.
The shop, located on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, was broken into four different times in less than three months by the same person.
Earlier this month, the coffee house's owner, Erica Escalante, posted security camera videos of the break-ins on her Facebook and Instagram accounts, asking people to help identify the culprit. The individual has yet to be apprehended.
If three times wasn’t enough, we were visited again this morning by the same burglar through another broken window. There’s no money in here. They ruffled around a bit and left. Police are looking for the person and believe they are local to the neighborhood. Puffy black jacket each time. This time covered their face. Please keep an eye out and send all the virtual hugs today. There just aren’t any words... Grateful for our amazing staff still keeping the love flowing through our space. We would love to see you this weekend! -Erica, owner
Posted by The Arrow Coffeehouse PDX on Saturday, December 15, 2018
Over the weekend, however, Portlanders gave $3,656 to a GoFundMe page organized to help get the Arrow reopened. The funds should help recover much of the shop's financial losses, but Escalante notes in a statement on the company Facebook page that there are still no clues as to why her store is being repeatedly targeted.
"There aren't a lot of words to describe my feelings for this situation," Escalante writes. "It is extremely unnerving and emotionally difficult to be woken up in the night to this kind of attack for the fourth time. I am 8 months pregnant with a family at home, and this has taken a toll."
While the store has taken every safety precaution possible, Escalante says she still worries about the store being broken into again.
"I cannot be one to judge anyone," Escalante says. "That said, it's hard to sleep at night and the possibility of this person returning again is scary."
Escalante asks that anyone with information about the break-ins contact Portland police.
Hey all - our shop is getting flooded with reporters and such trying to get some words and although we appreciate the...
Posted by The Arrow Coffeehouse PDX on Monday, December 17, 2018