In a shocking incident on Saturday morning, a thief managed to snatch dozens of vinyl records from a vintage store in Tigard, leaving the owners stunned and upset.
Chris Chasse, co-owner of Curiosities Vintage Mall on Southwest Main Street, shared how the thief targeted his vendor space, which operates under his business name, Greasy Car Vintage. The thief walked in around 10:30 a.m., swiftly grabbed several records, and left in just three minutes – all caught on surveillance video!
The footage shows the thief casually strolling in, picking out vinyl records from the bins and the walls. They even used a coat to cover their bag as they filled it with the prized albums. Chasse estimates the thief took about 60 records, many of which were expensive collectibles.
What’s even more unsettling is how the thief covered their face with a disposable mask right by the front desk, making it nearly impossible to identify them on camera. One of the other vendors saw the suspect heading toward their car and tried to confront them. But the thief quickly backed up, almost running over the vendor! Thankfully, no one was hurt.
“It’s hard to believe someone would do this, especially after the holidays,” Chasse said, still in disbelief. “But we’ll get through it. Small businesses here work hard, and we’ll bounce back.”
The stolen vinyl, a mix of both new and used records, is valued between $1,500 and $2,000. Chasse speculates the thief may have been familiar with the store, as they knew exactly where to find the best items.
Tigard Police confirmed they received a report about 20 minutes after the theft, and the investigation is ongoing.
While this theft is a tough blow for a small business at the start of the new year, Chasse remains hopeful. “We’ll be fine. We’ve got a great community here,” he said.
The search for the thief continues, and hopefully, they’ll be caught before they strike again.
