“I still have a lot of faith in humanity”: Monroe community rallies around business owner after burglars raid restaurant



MONROE, Wash. -- Police are looking for the suspect who broke into a local, family-owned business in Monroe Wednesday night and caused thousands of dollars in damage.

Along Main Street in Monroe, there's a lot of history. And inside the Main Street Café, there are paintings representing different people and events in the town.

“I don’t know all the stories by heart, but there is a story about every person in these murals,” owner Sandy Adkins said looking at the numerous murals painted on the cafe walls.

But Adkins says what happened Wednesday is a story she’d rather not remember.

“Oh, my goodness, what happened,” she recalled after seeing the damage.

In the middle of the night, someone came in and tore apart Sandy’s family-owned business.

“I went right back outside the back door and sat down,” she said.

They had to close their doors to customers. So, instead of making money, she ended up losing it; $4,000 worth.

Which really hurts her this month.

“I’ve been closed a lot the last few weeks,” she said.

Sandy has had some bad luck recently. She says hospital visits have forced her to keep the doors closed on Mother’s Day weekend – a big money maker for restaurants, she says.

This on top of the fact that a few years ago Sandy’s other business burned to the ground. But for all that’s happened, some good luck came her way. The community found out about what happened and came through for her.

“It’s amazing how many people responded and wanted to help,” she said.

In just a few hours, Sandy says half a dozen friends, community members and strangers have helped her get her business cleaned up and ready to open again.

“I still have a lot of faith in humanity,” she exclaimed.

It’s a story worth remembering.

“Everybody else has a story,” Adkins said.