Toy store owner dealing with theft of $6,000 in merchandise
A local toy store is dealing with the loss of $6,000 in merchandise due to an early morning robbery on Dec. 2.
It was just a typical Sunday morning for Theresa Dennis, owner of Tessy's Toys and Comics on North Main Street in Herkimer. Her sport utility vehicle and attached trailer were packed with merchandise to go to a flea market in Syracuse, as she does every Sunday morning.
Dennis and her fiancé had stopped at the Herkimer Fastrac around 3:45 a.m. to fill up the vehicle's gas tank and to grab a few items. Dennis went inside first and when her fiancé was done filling up the vehicle, he went inside too, leaving the vehicle unattended with the keys in the ignition.
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Moments later, when both came out, the vehicle was gone and a feeling of disbelief ensued.
"There is no feeling like walking out and not seeing your car where you left it," said Dennis. "My heart hit the floor."
Dennis said that Herkimer Police found the vehicle later that morning around 8:30 near the corner of Main and Steele streets in Herkimer.
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The vehicle and trailer were intact, but the merchandise was gone.
"There was a lot of money (in merchandise) in that car," said Dennis.
Dennis believes whoever stole the vehicle tried to hide it while unloading it, but weren't sure how to back up with a trailer attached. She said as a result, the person "jackknifed" the vehicle, which damaged the trailer's rear corner panels.
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She said Christmas time especially brings good revenue from the flea market.
The damage done to the trailer is covered by her car insurance, but she is still waiting to here whether the lost merchandise will be covered under her homeowner's insurance.
Dennis believes someone may have been waiting for them to leave the vehicle unattended because there was no one in sight.
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"We were shocked, stealing that jeep loaded with stuff is not exactly a little thing," said Dennis.