A local business that was ransacked early Monday morning is open and “recovering nicely,” said one of the owners Tuesday.
“We’re back up for business, we worked all night long,” said Kara Morkert, who owns The Gallery School of Music and Dance with her sister, Erin Brinkerhoff.
The business, located at Bay Street and Frederick Avenue downtown, was broken into around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning by a drunk man who then apparently went into a violent rage.
“He just started screaming and yelling and throwing his body against the walls,” said Morkert, explaining that Port Orchard Police Officers arrived soon after the break-in and witnessed part of the man’s rampage. “It’s amazing the amount of damage he did. He threw one of our stereos into a mirror; he took one of our ballet barres and stuck it through one of our studio windows.”
Morkert estimated the total damage at thousands of dollars, but said overall she was grateful he was found and stopped so soon.
“I’m so thankful he was caught as quickly as he was,” she said, describing the discovery as “divine intervention.
“The mom of one of our students, she just happened to be looking out of the window at 1:30 a.m. and saw him breaking into the gallery,” Morkert said. “If she wouldn’t have seen him, he probably would have completely destroyed the place.”
Morkert said she was also grateful that the POPD arrived so quickly, and for the help offered by concerned citizens, including the owner of Slip 45, a restaurant and bar across the street.
“He said ‘what can we do?,’” she recalled, explaining that while the restaurant owner needed to close up his business, his friend drove home and returned with plywood and tools to help board up the gallery’s broken windows.
“I don’t know what we would have done without him,” she said, explaining that despite the problems the business has endured the past year or so, such as flooding damage along with the break-in, she feels lucky and grateful.
“It could have been so much worse; no one was hurt,” she said, adding that after every crisis, the community has responded with “some really neat, random acts of kindness,” and that “we’re still open and business is good.”
Morkert said she does not know Jeffrey Wise, 40, who was arrested and charged with the burglary, nor why he chose her business, but she feels badly for him.
“As hurtful as what he did was, he’s in a very sad space, and we grant him grace for that,” she said.
Morkert also expressed concern for fellow business owner Sheila Karnes, who sells “Life Is Good” apparel next to the dance gallery and had much of her merchandise damaged.
“She said she’s going to hold a ‘Smash-and-Grab sale,’” Morkert said, laughing, explaining that Karnes believes her customers will understand the humor.
POPD Commander Geoff Marti said that Wise was reportedly seen breaking a window and climbing into the business around 1:30 a.m. March 2.
About a minute later, POPD officers arrived on scene and “could hear a lot of glass breaking inside, so they knew there was a burglary in progress,” Marti said.
After requesting assistance from Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office deputies, officers apprehended the suspect after he “kicked out a side door and tried to exit, with his arms full of hooded sweatshirts,” Marti said.
The suspect was arrested without further incident, then transported to the Kitsap County Jail. When questioned, Marti said the suspect revealed no motive for breaking into the business, and in fact denied ever being inside the building.
Tests revealed his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit for driving.
Wise was booked into KCJ for two counts of second-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree malicious mischief and one count of first-degree theft.He was held under $200,000 bail.
At his arraignment Monday, Wise was charged with once count each of second-degree burglary and first-degree malicious mischief. His bail was lowered to $50,000.
