HOLLAND, Mich. — The store owner of Super Hideaway Gaming is speaking out after police identified a suspect in connection to the break-in at his game store.
Store owner Aaron Mooneyhan said the past couple of weeks have been challenging but he's grateful the suspect has been identified.
"I don't even know how to process or even where to start. But it was me being defeated, and just kind of just shocked because I never thought it would happen," said Mooneyhan.
Mooneyhan can sleep a little better at night now that Holland police have a lead on who broke into his store and stole items a couple of weeks ago.
"I'm not looking over my shoulder as much. This has put me more on alert and it's not like we haven't had some type of security, you know, we do have a security system in here, but it has made me want to be more secure," said Mooneyhan.
Just two weeks ago, on Nov. 10, the front door of his store was broken and about $15,000 worth of Magic the Gathering and other trading cards were stolen from the store. Mooneyhan believes the suspect is the same person who stole similar items from other stores that were recently broken into in the area.
"I believe it would be the same person simply because the M-O is the same. He runs right for it, or not physically runs, but runs right for the exact same product at the other stores that he got for us," said Mooneyhan.
Surveillance footage caught the suspect's car and police later tracked it down, finding many of Mooneyan's stolen cards inside the car.
Mooneyhan is still working with his insurance to help cover some of the stolen items. He said he's beyond grateful for the community supporting his small business during this tough time.
"The outreach for the support has been overwhelming to the point that I didn't know what effect we had on the community, to where not only did he do something to us, but he did something to the community. That's probably the part that bothers me the most, is sure I can get through this. I'm one person with people, friends and stuff, who want to help, but it's overall, if I had to close, like I've had people say, if you had to close, we don't know what we do," said Mooneyhan.
The suspect hasn't been arrested or charged yet. 13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to Holland Police for more details but did not get a response. The investigation is still ongoing.