Photo via Instagram @everyonecomics
20 August 2024 By Shane O’Brien
The Everyone Comics x Collectibles comic book store in Long Island City was broken into for the second time this year when a thief kicked in the store’s glass door over the weekend and made off with about $300 in cash and several collectibles.
The store at 41-26 27th Street has updated a GoFundMe campaign, originally started after a break-in in January, in response to the latest break-in, which occurred around 1 a.m. Sunday.
Store manager Gabe Cruz said the thief stole San Diego Comic Con exclusives and Funko POP toys in addition to $300 in cash, but added that the most expensive part was replacing the glass door damaged in the break-in.
He said the updated GoFundMe campaign is intended to raise funds for gates on the door to prevent similar break-ins in the future.
“We’re trying to increase our security measures so that this doesn’t happen again,” Cruz said. “We want to put bars on the doors. Even if someone breaks the glass, they won’t be able to get in so easily.”
Photo via Everyone Comics
Cruz said the store was in a far better financial position to withstand the drop than the January incident, which came at a time when business was sluggish after a difficult 2023.
The two burglaries were committed by two different people, according to store surveillance footage. After the most recent break-in, NYPD officers visited the store but told staff they had little hope of catching the suspect because he was wearing gloves during the robbery, Cruz said.
Cruz accused the two thieves of causing damage to a local business.
“Hurting a local business doesn’t do anything,” Cruz said. “Let’s face it, whatever he took from the till can’t have been enough to be worth it.”
“Even if you think stealing is a non-violent crime, when you steal from people who don’t have much anyway, it somehow hurts everyone around them.”
Members of the local community have donated more than $8,000 to the store’s GoFundMe campaign since the first incident in January to help Everyone Comics recover from the two incidents.
Cruz acknowledged the support of customers and members of the local community who supported the store following two break-ins this year, saying their support had been “vital” to the store’s survival.
In a post on GoFundMe, store founder Dimitrios Fragiskatos also acknowledged everyone who supported the store.
“It’s not easy running a hobby shop in New York City in 2024, but your support and love have made up for any damage we’ve suffered,” Fragiskatos said.
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