Vancouver police officers responded around 6:20 a.m. Saturday to Main Street Marijuana at 2314 Main Street for the report of a commercial burglary that just happened. Two large windows on the side of Main Street Marijuana facing West 24th Street were boarded up Monday morning. (Will Campbell/The Columbian)
Two Vancouver cannabis shops were burglarized Saturday morning, and police suspect the same two people in both break-ins.
Vancouver police officers responded about 6:20 a.m. to Main Street Marijuana, 2314 Main St., in Uptown Village, for a report of a commercial burglary that just occurred. Police dispatch logs show 911 callers reported hearing an audible alarm coming from the business around the same time.
About a half-hour later, officers were dispatched to New Vansterdam Recreational Marijuana Dispensary at 6515 E. Mill Plain Blvd. for a commercial burglary in progress.
Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp said in an email that the shops were burglarized by suspects who forced their way inside and smashed display cases, “stealing unknown merchandise.”
“It appears that both burglaries involve the same two suspects, a tall male and a shorter male or female,” Kapp said. No other information was immediately available.
Two large windows on the side of Main Street Marijuana facing West 24th Street were boarded up Monday morning. Reached by phone, owner Adam Hamide said the thieves caused $3,000 in damage.
As soon as the thieves broke into the store, the business’ alarm started blaring, Hamide said. It must have spooked them, he said, because they were in and out of the store in 20 seconds. In that short time, they damaged a display case with the butt of a firearm and grabbed $50 of product, Hamide said.
The store is offering a $5,000 reward for any information about the burglary.
Hamide said he got a call Monday from a car theft victim who had retrieved their stolen vehicle and found merchandise from Main Street Marijuana inside. Hamide said the merchandise was not taken from the store during the break-in, however. He said the car owner also found marijuana paraphernalia that had previously been sold at the store and one of the suspect’s distinctive sweatshirts.
“That makes me think one of the people is a long-term customer. We’re going to have to go through tons of video and see if we can find someone who matches,” Hamide said.
It’s the second time within a month that the shop has been burglarized — the only break-ins since it opened more than five years ago. The owner is considering investing in new security equipment as a result.
Efforts to reach the owner of New Vansterdam were unsuccessful Monday.
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