Two Albuquerque businesses fed up with vandalism

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – This year, KOB 4 has reported on several businesses across Albuquerque that are being vandalized and sometimes robbed. 

On Monday, we spoke with two business owners whose businesses were targeted recently. 

The first is a tattoo shop, the other an exotic pet store, both are equally frustrated with the crime crisis in Albuquerque.  

“I was at home holding my 5-month-old daughter in one hand and eating a bagel in another hand. And my phone went off with ADT notifications saying that there was alarm entry happening,” said Stuart St. Louis, owner of Cheeky Monkey Tattoo.  

Sure enough, St. Louis saw two people, one of them throwing rocks at his window – not once, but twice. 

This happened on Monday morning. Fortunately, the window didn’t break because of an investment that he had to make the first time his shop was hit. 

“I worked with Mobile Screen and Glass about the problem that was happening. They are the ones that replaced my windows previously, and they suggested that I get these windows that are in breakable and they’ve proven to be so,” said St. Louis.  

Cheeky Monkey Tattoo has only been open since February and already the shop has been hit five times, St. Louis says.

It’s the same two people doing this, in damages he’s had to pay about $15,000 to $20,000. 

“Furious, it’s absurd, and I don’t know who the coward is that is sending these goons to keep smashing my windows up, but they need to grow up and mind their own business. I’m not doing this to them, nobody is doing it to them,” said St. Louis.  

In northeast Albuquerque, another business is also dealing with its own act of vandalism. 

Last week, Predator and Prey Exotics Pet Store on Central was hit by a rock, damaging one of the windows and an empty tank.

“The damage to the window and the tank is going to be about a $1,000. It’s an unfortunate little hit for us for sure,” said Dylan Mueller, owner of Predator and Prey Exotics Pet Store.   

The good thing is that none of the animals were hurt, especially by the cold air coming in from the window.  

“It’s very frustrating. Everybody’s got their own little thing that they are trying to do to make a living and continue to work, and have their livelihood. So when someone comes in to mess that up I think it would frustrate anybody,” said Mueller.  

Both owners say they’ve filled police reports but haven’t really seen a response from APD.