Furniture Store Vandalism May Force Business To Close
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Vandalism may force a small-town furniture store to close.
Someone broke into The Furniture Clinic, in Madelia, Minnesota, and caused thousands of dollars worth of damage.
"A china hutch was dumped over," the store's owner, Rick Elkins, said. "That's what got my attention."
What Elkins couldn't see when he opened his store Monday morning was the full extent of the damage.
Elkins, who is legally blind, opened the furniture store last year when he could no longer do mechanical work.
"My heart just sunk," he said. "This has been my baby."
The vandals had cut desks in half. Paint was poured on books, computers and even inside the refrigerator.
"I just couldn't believe that somebody would do that," Elkins said.
The remains of nearly 100 pieces of furniture were taken to a dump site down the road.
"The community supports the Elkins family and everyone is just in shock that it happened," Madelia firefighter John Nelson said.
Elkins estimates it would cost $8,000 to restock and clean up his store. It's money he doesn't have.
"I have no insurance, so I don't know if we will get opened up again," Elkins said.
Closing the store would not only take away a paycheck, but also the place that allows Elkins to stay active in his community.
"It's hard to see them pick on someone with a disability like that," Nelson said.
He's hoping someone will come forward with information.
"I've gotten a lot of support," Elkins said. "For a small town like this, nobody can believe anybody in town would do something like that."
Police said they found one footprint as evidence but have no suspects right now. Anyone with information should call the Madelia Police Department. Also, a GoFundMe page has been launched to help keep the store open.
