'It breaks my heart': Racine thrift store dedicated to helping foster children burglarized
UPDATE 12/3/22 at 2:15 p.m. -- Both suspects have been identified, according to co-owner Dave Fricke.
RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Not once, not twice, but three times. All in one week.
Fosters ReStore in Racine, a thrift shop dedicated to providing foster children with free clothing, has recently become a victim of vandalism and burglary.
According to a post on the Racine Police Department's Facebook page, two men, one wearing a brown jacket and one wearing a blue jacket, reportedly broke in on the evening of Nov. 27 and stole "just under $1,000 worth of merchandise".
Co-owner Dave Fricke told CBS 58's Ellie Nakamoto-White that they entered through the back around 9:30 p.m. where they reportedly took the coin donation jar at the front register and clothing off the racks.
Fricke said hours later around 11:45 p.m., the man in the brown jacket returned alone, but brought a shopping cart and luggage.
"He went through, and he took the majority of the Packers, Bears, sports merchandise, and basically sat right here under a camera," Fricke said, pointing to the numerous security cameras posted around the store. "It was one of those scenarios that I paint all the time and tell all the time and it happened."
HAVE YOU SEEN THEM? @RacinePD are searching for two suspected of breaking in & stealing from Fosters ReStore in #Racine not once, but twice on Nov. 27. The store’s offsite warehouse was also targeted yesterday although unclear if by the same suspects. @CBS58 at 4:30p pic.twitter.com/JZ0Ck39EXP
— Ellie Nakamoto-White (@ellienw_news) December 2, 2022
Then on Dec. 2, Fricke posted to Facebook alerting the community that the store's offsite warehouse had also been targeted -- although it is unclear by who.
"They rummaged through our box truck that we have. They broke into every single vehicle there," Fricke said.
Although during that incident there luckily was no damage, Fricke said he's saddened by the suspects' actions.
"You're stealing from a charity, an organization that's sole mission is to help," Fricke said.
Fosters ReStore has been a community staple for the past six years -- starting in Kenosha before ending up for the past 4.5 years at the Racine location.
Since then, they've donated free clothing and toys to foster children and their families, something near and dear to Fricke as he is adopted.
"We're built by the community for the community. There's no need to break in, there's no need to steal, there's no need to shoplift," Fricke said. "Especially this time of year when some don't even know where their parents are. They don't know where the Christmas gifts are coming from and to be able to do that, and then get people that have to steal from them and jeopardize that mission? It really breaks my heart."
While Fricke replays the security camera footage over and over again, only one question remains.
"Why? Why'd you do it?" Fricke asked. "You know if you really have that need, come to us. You can just ask."
For Fricke and the children he serves, Fosters ReStore is more than just a store -- rather, it's "a family."
And it's that family that keeps him going despite the setbacks.
"They keep pushing us down, trying to get us to stop," Fricke said. "But we don't."
The man in the brown jacket has been identified. The man in the blue jacket remains unknown.
If you can identify or provide any additional information, please contact Investigator Tom Bodnar by email at [email protected] or by calling on his cell phone at (262)-383-1984.