ROUND ROCK, Texas (KXAN) — Thousands of dollars worth of equipment was stolen from a tattoo shop in Round Rock. The burglary was all caught on camera.
Surveillance video captured the heartbreaking moment for Legacy Tattoo & Piercing. It is footage owners Daniel and Adrianna Williams said they’ve watched over and over again.
“It really blew my mind to even see it happen.”
Daniel Williams, Owner of Legacy Tattoo & Piercing
The Williams’ said someone broke into their shop early Saturday morning and went around taking things from different tattoo artists’ stations.
“Those machines are worth so much. The inks are worth so much,” said Adrianna. “This is how they make a living. It’s how they support their kids. These are their jobs.”
Daniel said he hasn’t experienced anything like this in the six years that his business has been open.
Based on the surveillance footage, they said it appeared as though the thief was aware of where things were in the shop.
“Different things that showed that he had been in here before, or was familiar,” Daniel said.
The Round Rock Police Department didn’t tell KXAN much, but only said that this is an active investigation.
While the shop has made its repairs, this situation ultimately left a lasting mark on them.
“Who knows if they can come back today? Who knows if they can come back tomorrow? Who knows what’s going to happen next? But hopefully, if we can get the car out and get a description of at least what he looks like, maybe somebody can say, ‘Hey, I know him or something about it’, and we can get it figured out,” Adrianna said.
Legacy Tattoo & Piercing is asking for the public’s help figuring out who stole from them. (Photo: KXAN)
As a result of this situation, the tattoo shop is hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, May 31. They’ll have special $5 tattoos for designs like the Round Rock tower and the outline of Texas. People will also be able to donate to the artists impacted.
‘I’m frozen’
Tattoo artist Angel Gomez said he couldn’t believe what happened.
“I worked so hard to get these new machines,” Gomez said. “I literally just finished paying them off.”
Gomez said the average tattoo machines cost about $1,000. He said this is not only a financial set back for him, but an emotional and mental one as well.
“I am an Army veteran. I suffer from PTSD, and so my coping is tattooing,” Gomez said. “I’m frozen. I don’t know how to feel. I don’t feel anything.”
