Donors rally to help young owner after burglary seriously damages Puyallup-area store
Dennis Kupchenko was already having trouble sleeping the night of Dec. 6, almost like he had a gut feeling that something was wrong.
Then at 2 a.m. he woke up to a call from the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department that his store had been burglarized.
“I jumped out of bed, and I ran right over there,” he said. “I was there in about 10 minutes or so.”
Kupchenko was discouraged by what he saw when he got to the Red Barn Market & Nursery shortly after 2 a.m. Thousands of dollars of damage had been done to the store at 14407 94th Ave. E., which he took over several years ago when he was just 19.
In the two days following the burglary, the community raised nearly $20,000 to support him.
“I was just mind blown with everybody’s love, support and generosity,” Kupchenko said. “It was so unexpected.”
The metal door at the front was opened with a crowbar, which he said will cost $4,000 to $5,000 to fix, not including labor. Some tables inside the store were flipped upside down. The big, metal sink at the back of the store was ripped off the wall. All the potted plants were gone.
The cash register, which costs about $4,000, was also destroyed. Damage to vendors’ property in the store may cost about $1,000 or so, he said.
“It’s just catastrophic,” Kupchenko said.
The suspect was underage and lived in the area, Kupchenko said. The person was brought back to his parents the same day.
The damages were about $10,000, Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss Jr. said. The information was sent to prosecutors for possible charges in Juvenile Court, he said.
Kupchenko’s spirits lifted after receiving support from the community, he said. Several people sent supportive messages, and about 400 people have donated to the GoFundMe page he set up the day of the break-in.
As of Dec. 10, Kupchenko garnered about $19,200 from the GoFundMe page, more than double his original goal of $8,500.
The extra funds will go toward security and safety upgrades around the property, Kupchenko said. He plans to purchase a better security system with alarms as well as fix some of the potholes around the parking lot.
Kupchenko gained ownership of the store in 2018. A year before that he was working with the previous owner, who offered to sell him the business, he said.
Red Barn Market & Nursery specializes in providing “the highest quality produce for the lowest price possible,” Kupchenko said. Local produce such as vegetables and fruit can be found at the store. The nursery also carries a lot of annuals and perennials.
Those interested in making a donation can go to Kupchenko’s GoFundMe page by searching “Red Barn Market & Nursery vandalism” at gofundme.com.
This story was originally published December 11, 2021 at 10:48 AM.
