BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Thuy Tran, president and owner of Utica Tax LLC, says someone has been coming by and smashing the front windows of his business for the past several months.
"Every month it seems like somebody comes by with a rock. 2 a.m. 3 a.m. They just break it," Tran said. "They'll come by with a rock sometimes with a hammer. They're not even taking anything. If they take something, I would be less mad but here they just break the windows and run away."
The most recent attack on the accounting firm on Tonawanda Street in Buffalo happened early Friday morning. Surveillance video showed a person approaching the business with a rock in their right hand. The person looked around before forcefully throwing the rock at the front window. The person then ran away.
"So every time they break it's something I have to worry about," Tran said.
Tran spends a lot of his time covering up the windows with plywood. Repairing each window which costs about $2,000.
"It's hard work. It's somebody's hard work. It takes you 5 seconds to throw the rock through the windows but it is actually somebody's hard work," he added.
Tran says he bought this building in 2010 and has been working on a new office space ever since.
"It takes a long time to build this place up. It was an apartment building and little by little I built it up," he explained.
From the previous incidents, you can still see glass shattered across the sidewalk and along the frames of the replaced windows.
"I don't think this is gonna be the last time. I think it will keep going and I don't know what to do about it and I don't know why this particular property has this problem. I don't have a problem with anybody and it keeps happening. I feel like my work is wasted," Tran said. "I am trying to build the community up. I'm doing my part, I just hope whoever sees this whoever done this — just stop."
A city spokesperson told 7 News that detectives are investigating. If anyone has information, you're asked to call or text the confidential tipline at (716) 847-2255.
