MILLCREEK, Utah — A Millcreek anime shop is picking up the pieces after a burglar broke in Saturday morning.
Owners Kevin Roncancio and Maria Navas of Super Anime Store, located at 2274 E. 3300 South, say the suspect stole over $4,000 worth of rare merchandise, including Pokémon cards, Star Wars collectibles, and autographed pieces.
According to the Unified Police Department, the incident happened around 4:15 a.m. on Saturday. Police say the suspect picked the store's lock open and went inside.
That morning, Roncancio and Navas got a call no business owner ever wants to receive. An employee asked if anyone had been inside before opening. When they checked their security cameras, they realized the person in the video wasn't anyone they recognized, and it wasn't one of their staff.
"We're a pretty fun place to be at," Roncancio said. "We wouldn't think anyone would want to harm us like this."
The store's security footage shows a man peeking into the shop before picking the front entrance lock minutes later. Roncancio said that after the suspect picked the lock, he then left the area. He then returned to the store's entrance with a different outfit — a hoodie and a mask.
"We were shook by this. We weren't expecting this," Navas said. "Being a small business, it does take a big toll on us because I feel like at the end of the day, what we bring in, we're making very small profits."
The store is now offering discounts to customers while the owners work to break even over the next few months.
"At the end of the day, we will come out of this. We're very resilient people, but as a small business, it is a shocker," Navas said.
The couple from Eagle Mountain opened the anime store three years ago with a simple goal in mind.
"It brings other people joy," Navas explained. "We wanted to build a community."
Unified Police say the investigation is active and are asking anyone with information to call 801-840-4000.
