A smash-and-grab-style burglary at a skate shop in Kearny Mesa has the look of similar robberies in larger Northern California communities.
The shop owner says masked thieves got away with more than $15,000 worth of merchandise and computer equipment, but security footage could help identify them.
"They stole a ton of our elbow pads and our wrist guards. Our indoor wheels, they just came over and swept off our whole shelf. A lot of our bearings were taken. I think that was a big one for us,” Sin City Skates owner Kelly Timm said.
The former roller derby player, known as “Bo Toxic” in the rink, is adding up her missing inventory.
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“Shocked. Brazen is probably a good word. They just came in with cameras everywhere. We have an alarm. They didn’t care,” Timm said.
The caper was caught on camera. The two burglars tripped the alarm at 2:35 a.m. Monday.
“They parked in front. They destroyed our front door to get in. They just took load after load out of here. They were in and out pretty quick, about six or seven minutes," Timm said.
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Not satisfied with the containers they brought, Timm says they stole the neighbor’s trash can to haul out bigger loads.
"I feel violated. Day one I was going off adrenaline. and now I’m exhausted," Timm said.
Timm suspects the thieves weren’t exactly skaters because they passed by some of her most expensive shoes. They stole components. Brands that are also familiar to those in the skateboard world.
“We have other friends that own skateboard shops that recently have been broken into. They might be connected," Timm said.
Police, however, have not yet made that connection.
There is a moment in the six minutes or so the thieves spent in the skate shop when one of the suspects' masks drops long enough to get a clear picture of his face.
Timm is convinced mistakes like this, and a very close-knit skate community keeping an eye out, will lead to the thieves' capture.
Maybe a little motivation to catch these guys is keeping me going I mean I am a derby girl what can I say. “
Timm said her skate shop was a niche company, but the sport took off over the pandemic. Unlike many businesses, these last two years have been her busiest. Although she can’t be sure that popularity made the store a target.
