Break-ins in Ohio City do not deter business owner

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Ohio City remains one of the trendiest destinations for people moving into the city of Cleveland as apartment buildings rise and new businesses pop up, but that certainly does not mean that the neighborhood is immune to crime. Not even close.

Just this week the windows were smashed in at Cleveland Tea Revival and the window and front door at Beet Bar Juice Bar were smashed in and thieves stole multiple items.

Molly McKay is the owner of Beet Bar and has been in the Hingetown location at West 29th and Church for eight years and was disappointed, no question, but is not about to give up on the neighborhood.

“We’re definitely proud to be here, we’re definitely not leaving, a tiny setback is just a tiny setback,” she said.

McKay is working through the insurance issues to get her window fixed but is sold on the neighborhood and believes that a break-in like this can happen just about anywhere.

“This is a great area; it has nothing but potential, it’s growing every single day, there is apartments and people coming here from all over the state,” McKay said.

That commitment to the neighborhood seems to be a shared commitment.

Next door at the Big Mouth Donut Company, owner Kelly Brewer, who has been in Ohio City for three and half years, said the first thing he did when he heard about the break-in was go next door to make sure everyone was okay.

“We love being here, we’re part of the neighborhood and one of the nicest things about this area is it is more than just shops, it’s a community, we know everybody,” Brewer said.

Brewer mentioned that he hoped that the break-in was hopefully just a one-off and said that in the time they have been in Ohio City that they have felt safe and have not had many issues.

McKay kept her busy store open the day after the break-in and will simply move forward.

“It was totally sad, but at the same time, we have a great sense of community, so everybody lifts each other up,” she said.

As far as finding out who broke into the store and police actually making an arrest, McKay does not have high expectations simply because she said the police have more important issues to tackle.

The Cleveland Division of Police Second District Community Relations Committee shared the following surveillance photo of the suspect accused of using a rock to smash out a large window and the glass door of Beet Jar on Feb. 9:

Call Det. Murphy at 216-623-5217 if you can identify him.

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