“It was like a bomb had gone off’: Smash-and-grab robbery at Looking Glass Photo leaves extensive damage, losses

The smashed front entrance of Looking Glass Photo at 2239 Fifth St., after it was rammed by a vehicle in a smash-and-grab robbery early Sunday morning. Credit: courtesy Looking Glass Photo

A smash-and-grab robbery at Looking Glass Photo Sunday caused significant damage to the photography store at 2239 Fifth St. At least $50,000 worth of merchandise was stolen, according to the store’s owner, Jen Waicukauski.

Waicukauski was alerted to the robbery by an alert on her phone from the store’s security company at 5:37 a.m Sunday. Checking the live security camera footage on the app, Waicukauski said she could see three figures in the store. “I yelled though the webcam at the people I could see … that might be why they left,” she said.

After being contacted by the security company, Berkeley police arrived in about 9 minutes, said Waicukauski, who estimated the perpetrators were only in the store a few minutes. On reviewed the camera footage, Waicukauski saw a vehicle ramming into the facade of the store four times. “On the fourth hit they were able to gain entry,” she said. She arrived at the store around 6:30 a.m and took in the extent of the destruction. “The entire front of the building was inside the store. It was like a bomb had gone off,” she said.

Since then, staff and friends, wearing masks, have been cleaning out the store which was covered in class dust, and securing the space. The response from the community has been extraordinary, Waicukauski said. The building’s landlord, Abrams, Millikan & Associates, have already removed the damaged entrance and built and painted a new temporary wall. And they sent out a contractor, who was on site Monday, to discuss other necessary repairs.

Glass and glass dust was “everywhere” after the robbery, according to Looking Glass Photo owner Jen Waicukauski. Credit: courtesy Looking Glass Photo

Store is still open to customers

While the storefront is boarded up, the store is still open, welcoming customers through a side entrance.

At the suggestion of many friends, the staff created a Gofundme to help cover repair and security upgrade costs, including restoring the storefront, replacing broken fixtures, displays and equipment and installing a roll-up security door for added protection. At the time of writing, more than $19,000 had already been raised towards its $50,000 goal. Waicukauski said reading the messages on the Gofundme has been “the most beautiful thing.” Sounding emotional, she continued: “We believe in our community connection. The outpouring of support has been amazing.”

Michelle Wolfson, who lives near to the store, on Ninth Street, told Berkeleyside that, to her, Looking Glass was not just a store, but “a treasured part of the community.” “Every time we come in, they help us out and share their joy of photography with beginners,” she said. “Looking Glass staff are amazingly kind and patient and always help me and my family out as we learn photography….Since they are a small business we buy film there instead of online, so we can get personal support. We are very worried this will hurt them so much they will go out of business.”  

This is not the first time the store has been broken into, although it is by far the most devastating robbery, according to Waicukauski, who says camera stores are a known target. “Just like at Apple stores. people rush in a grab things,” she said. “At a San Jose camera store someone was shot. It’s like being a bank,” she said, adding that they had to have armed security at their previous store on Ashby Avenue.

The camera store industry in general has been in jeopardy for a while, Waicukauski said, citing online retailers as one of the major causes. “We operate on low margins and sell expensive items. Our business is not easy and we never fully recovered from the pandemic.”

Sunday’s crime has dealt a blow to a business that was “just starting to find its rhythm” since moving to its new location, she added.

Looking Glass, which was founded by Peter Pfersick on Telegraph Avenue in 1971, moved to Fifth Street in July 2024 from its previous location in the old Heinz family complex at 1045 Ashby Ave., where it had been based since 2013. Waicukauski owns and operates the store and her father is a business partner. Looking Glass offers photography classes both online and instore, as well as private lessons, and “full outfitting” consultations. It is next door to Looking Glass’s lab partner, PhotoLab, and two photographers and a framer are also located in the building.

Berkeleyside has requested information on the incident from the Berkeley Police Department, who responded that their communications team was on holiday today. We will update this story if we get new information.