Newly opened Ballard barbershop ransacked by burglars

Steele Barber in Ballard was ransacked by burglars this past weekend. The shop recently opened, and was already taking a financial risk opening during the pandemic. Owner Matthew Humphrey joined the Dori Monson Show to discuss what happened and the toll its taken.

“So I got a call about 5:45 a.m. from our alarm company, and it was that the alarm had been set off on Ballard. So my stomach hit the floor and my feet did, and I got down in about five minutes only to find my shop broken into and products and accessories all thrown on the floor. The police were right behind me in about five minutes. But what I found was just about 4,000 wholesale dollars gone out the door,” he said.

“And it’s really sad because I just built this beautiful space here, opening at the end of September. So it wasn’t as much about the product as it was about my dream project here just got violated,” he added.

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Security footage shows the suspects applying tape to the door before breaking in, with one of them dressed as a security guard, making it appear like a professional crime.

“Well, that’s what the police said. They said [the tape] quiets the noise,” Humphrey explained. “And the guy was dressed as a security guard — you can see from the footage, so they definitely came prepared. They had hats and coverings. And they never looked up at the cameras. They intentionally didn’t, which I think is interesting. So yeah, it was really unfortunate, but seemed like a professional job.”

To hear the rest of what happened, listen here. Any tips can go through www.crimestoppers.com

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from noon – 3 p.m. on KIRO Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.