'You're never ready for something like this' | Louisville business owners hit by holiday season break-ins | Business

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Another Louisville shop was broken into this week, just days before Christmas.

The latest incident hit a popular business on Barret Avenue, even though the owner says metal bars were previously installed.

In recent months, WDRB News has reported on break-ins at shops, car dealerships, and bars. But there is one area known for commerce more than anywhere in Louisville: Bardstown Road.

One Highlands business owner has seen each of his shops, a clothing store and a sneaker place, hit by burglars in the past month.

The owner of Free Hype Shop, Garrett Cissell, said he pulled up within five minutes of last week's break-in, and tried to confront the burglars.

"And I actually chased them for about a minute, then I gave up," said Cissell.

A shattered window and door left behind, but more than 100, mostly mismatched, sneakers worth thousands of dollars were gone.

"I think they only got seven, eight, pairs of sellable sneakers," Cissell said.

Some of the remaining sneakers are on display, including a Grateful Dead-inspired Nike shoe. The pair was on sale for $650.

"We have the left one (shoe)," Cissell said. "They have the right one, and the box."

The break-in to his sneaker shop came about two weeks after burglars stole clothes from his shop across the street.

The councilman who represents the Highlands, Ben Reno-Weber (D-8), said there's been a recent uptick in break-ins.

"You're never ready for something like this," Reno-Weber said. "The most important thing we as a community can do to rally around Free Hype Shop is to come by their products."

Reno-Weber said he is working with the Highland Commerce Guild to establish a crisis fund that can bail out impacted owners.

"I'm a business owner, so I know exactly what it's like when a crisis hits," he said. "It's not like you have a $1,000 laying around to be able to pay that deductible to get that window fixed right now."

He said the crisis fund planning is in the early stages, but hopes to launch the help soon. In the meantime, Cissell is getting ready to install a gate on his remaining windows and is keeping an eye on his shop for hours after closing time.

"I figured just being here, alone, lights on, car on, no one's gonna come and try anything," Cissell said.