SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One of the oldest bookstores in Sacramento is having to clean up after it was broken into early Saturday morning.
The Sacramento Police Department said, just before 2:30 a.m., officers responded to reports of an alarm activation at Beers Books on 712 R Street. Officers found broken glass at the business and generated a burglary report.
Manager and part owner Andrew Naify said a man broke into the bookstore after throwing a rock at the front door, kicking the door in and opening it from within.
“This is just a huge hit for us,” Naify said. “It is just a big clean up job and a lot of lost hours of sleep for us.”
Once the person got inside, Naify said he didn't take anything and left before police got there.
“It is just books and that is really only valuable to us and book collectors,” Naify said.
While no one at the business was injured, the bookstore was left with thousands of dollars worth of damage to the front door.
Beers Books has been selling new and used books in Sacramento since the 1930’s.
Naify is puzzled by the overnight events, because the man who is accused of breaking into the bookstore is seen on surveillance video laying down on the steps of the business for hours before breaking and entering.
“Right around 7:30 p.m. as we were just wrapping up for the day, he rolled up, the same person, kind of hid in this little alcove over here and slept,” Naify said.
Naify said this was the third time in the past 14 months the bookstore was broken into, twice at the current location and once at the old location on S Street.
Other businesses on R Street off camera said people camping nearby and leaving drug kits has been an issue with no solution.
Since small businesses run on razor-thin margins, incidents like these, Naify said, are not good for business.
“We are so passionate about what we do, and it is just really unfortunate that people think there is something to be gained from smashing into a used bookstore,” Naify said.
If you know anything, you are asked to call Sacramento Police 916-808-5471.
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