Jewelry business Fifth Avenue Collection likes to beautify its front yard to give tourists something to photograph, but lately, vandals have made it difficult to showcase a tidy appearance.
On Aug. 1 around 6 p.m., security cameras at the Stadacona Street business captured a woman knocking over a two-tiered fountain, with police later arresting her. Video also showed another woman stealing flowerpots earlier in the day.
Dzung Huynh, an IT specialist with the business, explained recently that a supervisor contacted him and said to check the security footage to confirm what happened. The IT specialist reviewed the footage and discovered that the woman came from the west and made a beeline straight for the fountain.
“She was prancing like she was going to do something (illegal),” he said.
Huynh was unsure how much it would cost to repair the fountain or whether it would be replaced but pointed out this has happened before. Vandals seem to strike the front yard about once or twice a year, usually without reason. This also seems to happen when the weather is nice.
“They also steal our extension cords,” he laughed.
It wasn’t just the fountain that was vandalized on that day, either. Based on the security footage, Huynh indicated that another woman in a bunnyhug and carrying a backpack stole three flowerpots around 7 a.m. and then walked west on Stadacona.
It’s frustrating that people continue to hit the business in this way, while it’s worse not knowing why they do it, Huynh said. Fifth Avenue Collection likes to keep its front yard beautiful since tourist buses and the Tourism Moose Jaw trolley usually drive past for photographs.
Police arrested a woman. The business has not yet pressed charges and is unsure if it will.
Residents should remember that security cameras are scattered around the grounds, Hunyh added, and they will be captured on video if they vandalize the yard.
Staff Sgt. Taylor Elder with the Moose Jaw Police Service confirmed that officers received a call on Aug. 1 after 6 p.m. about damage to the fountain. Officers arrived to find the woman sitting in the fountain, so they arrested her and charged her with mischief; she will appear in court on Sept. 20.
“It’s not fair of me to talk about her mental health; I wasn’t there,” he continued. “There’s signs that the public kind of misinterprets mental health issues with drug abuse issues. … it’s believed that drug intoxication was a factor in this.”
Elder added that Moose Jaw police do not normally respond to incidents at Fifth Avenue Collection.
