LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With no warning or notice, employees at Crystal's Bargain Outlet in the Portland neighborhood were told through text the store is closed for good after 10 years.
"The company informed us that we were closed indefinitely," said Desiree Hunt, the most recent general manager at Crystal's Bargain Outlet.
She said Saturday's violent incidents are some of the reasons why the owner, Crystal Hudson, decided to close her doors.
There were two shoplifters who didn't want to leave.
"When they decided to finally leave they turned around and then assaulted my employee," Hudson said.
Surveillance video captured them coming back two hours later with a group of people right before the store closed at 5 p.m., trying to shove their way through the doors.
Evie Tilley is also a former employee who understood why the store had to close, but said the impact the store had in the Portland neighborhood will be missed.
"Taking away that one place that really helped people, who can't afford much else, I mean, it's really going to be a blow for the community," she said.
Customers were walking up to the building all Tuesday afternoon only to find out their favorite store permanently closed it's doors.
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"I'm devastated, I was about to come in here and get a couple of shoes and a couple of outfits," former customer Scottie Bean said.
Bean had been coming to Crystal's forever. He said it's known as Portland's hidden treasure with the latest sneakers, clothes, furniture and food.
"I used to come in here and get all types of deals, get the new J's, new little hats," Bean said.
Michael Ferguson agreed.
"I do a lot of thrift shopping; I've been doing it for the last two years and honestly Crystal's was one of my favorite places to come to because of a lot of things they had inside," Ferguson said.
In a statement to WHAS11 News, Hudson wrote:
To all of our Wonderful Customers,
We greatly appreciate the business you have given to us over the last 10 years. We appreciate every single one of you and I’m so sorry it’s come to this. It was never our intention to close, but due to extreme safety concerns and excessive theft I had to make this hard decision to permanently close at this location. It wasn’t worth risking our employees and customers lives any longer.
From the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry for how our closure will affect the community. We will miss everyone dearly!
With Much Love,
We hope to have a new location at some point in the future.
Sincerely,
Crystal Hudson
The Louisville Metro Police crime map shows a theft was also reported at Crystal's Bargain Outlet earlier this month.
Over the last six months, the same data shows three burglaries and two thefts were reported within a block of the store.
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