TRI-CITIES, Wash. –
After being in business for over 2 decades, Island View Market and Deli has been broken into 7 times in the last 2 years and 2 times in just the last couple of weeks.
Owner of Island View Market and Deli, Lonnie Cargill, says that with these unexpected incidents on top of his wife taking time away from the business to focus on her health. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to stay open for much longer.
Cargill says that it wasn’t until local businesses and community members started showing up to help him that he started to think that his business would be alright.
“You think with the Tri-Cities growing as fast as it is that everyone would be focused on growing their own businesses but it really turns back into that small town vibe when something like this happens,” says Lonnie Cargill, Owner of Island View Market and Deli.
Cargill says that in the most recent break-ins, these intruders broke windows with stones and then stole items like cigarettes, condoms and lottery tickets.
“You really feel violated because we have always tried to helped out others,” says Cargill.
Cargill says that other businesses like Perfection Glass and Lodestar Construction helped board up and replace their glass windows for free once they heard what happened to Island View Market and Deli and the local disc golf community even raised money by having a fundraising disc golf competition.
On top of getting the windows replaced and the disc golf fundraising, Gargills son, Justin Cargill, started a gofundme fundraiser the day after the most recent break-in asking for $10,000. After only being posted for a couple weeks the fundraising page has exceeded its goal and has over $11,000 worth of donations.
“I started crying, I’m not much on that but I did and it really just touched my heart,” says Cargill.
If you have any information about the break-ins or know who might have done it you’re asked to call (509)628-0333 and refer to case 230-48528.
