Old Town Clovis shop broken into, vandalized with racist graffiti
Racist graffiti was spray-painted inside an Old Town Clovis shop sometime Friday night in what police are calling a commercial burglary and hate crime.
The shopkeeper, Chanel Wapner, said she was in shock Saturday morning when she went to open her store, Just My Essentials, at 421½ Pollasky Ave.
Inside her bath and body care shop was broken glass, damaged product and the spray painted letters, BLM with an X through it. A racist word was also scrawled across the wall and on the carpet.
“After I got over the shock, I remembered thinking am I a sitting duck, is someone out there watching me,” said Wapner, who is Black. “I have been here three years and have many great customers, but the temperature of what is happening in this country is getting hotter.”
Saturday’s incident was not the first time Wapner has felt the sting of racism. A few weeks ago, she was sweeping the front of her shop, formerly the Clovis Book Nook, when an older white woman walked by and made it clear she didn’t like her.
“She pointed at me and said, ‘Just so that you know, Black lives don’t matter in Clovis,’” Wapner said. “It was surprising and then again, not surprising.”
Clovis Mayor Drew Bessigner condemned the incident.
“We stand united,” he said, “to defend the citizens of our community against anyone who would harm them for any reason.”
Lt. Jim Munro, Clovis police spokesman, said detectives were still at the scene on Saturday afternoon, investigating the crime.
“The place was pretty tore up when we responded out there,” Munro said. “There was damage to product and graffiti on the walls that was racial in nature.”
It also appeared that whoever broke in also ruined the essential oils Wapner sold by adding water to the jars where they were stored. Munro said detectives believe the suspect(s) got into the shop by prying the back door open.
Detectives will also be looking at surveillance video from nearby businesses to see if they can get a look at who broke in.
Clovis Councilman Jose Flores said “what happened last night, should not be tolerated anywhere in Clovis, in our county, in our state or in our nation.”
“It’s emotional and it angers us all,” he said.
As Wapner was busy cleaning up her shop on Saturday, several customers came in to offer their support and help. One woman brought Wapner flowers.
“You are going to make me cry,” she told the woman. “This is so empowering and makes me want to rebuild my shop. This is also why this thing is so surprising. Old Town Clovis embraced me when I moved down here. So for this to happen is just unreal.”
Councilmember Bob Whalen has established a GoFundMe account for Wapner.
This story was originally published September 26, 2020 at 3:20 PM.
