By: Tara Kerrigan Hayes
For anyone who has ever been robbed or had their possessions vandalized, they know the feeling of violation. It’s a feeling owner of Nurture Salon and Spa, Susan Devlin, would experience after her business on 127 L Street was broken into and robbed during the early morning hours of March 13th.
As a part time manager of Nurture (and close friend of Susan’s), the early call about the incident was upsetting enough, but it wasn’t until I was on the scene – glass shards everywhere, desk ransacked – that the uneasy feeling began to sink in, the feeling that a stranger had infiltrated someone else’s space, caused damage, created chaos and simply fled. I went to the desk to see if they’d managed to get the safe open. The entire safe was gone.
One by one our stylists/staff had gotten word and trickled in, assessing the scene, checking their belongings, their shocked expressions a reflection of the vulnerability we all collectively felt. After meeting with detectives and removing a sea of glass to open on time for the day’s first client, we tried to reestablish normalcy and shed the feeling in the air that can only be described as eerie.
But eerier still would be the video surveillance clips forwarded by Susan who was out of the country at the time of the incident forcing her to hear the news and updates second hand. From a remote location, (far from her business and feeling helpless), she began sifting through recorded footage until she came upon the disturbing scene.
A young male wearing a light gray hoodie, (partially concealing his face), repeatedly smashes the E. Sixth Street glass door with a hammer, then kicks in the bottom and enters the premises. He races to the front desk where his image is picked up by a second camera (and for a time, his hood is down – his face exposed). Wearing gloves, he feverishly rummages through a drawer (presumably for the key to the safe), then, with no key-ends up taking the entire safe, but not before stealing all the cash in the register. While attempting to flee from the L Street facing entrance, he fumbles with the lock, grabs a nearby chair, and smashes the second glass door until he’s free and takes a left towards Broadway.
Aside from the incriminating footage, more information would unfold throughout the day, including a call from a man who had found the wrecked and raided safe just hours later in a remote area of the woods in Saugus, reaffirming our suspicions of the identity of the perpetrator. Yes, we believe we know the responsible party (the bulk of the safe contents were emptied / key hidden, earlier that day as a precaution). Still, we cannot do anything about the incident – YET. While this appears to have all the makings of an open and shut case, without a positive ID to convict, an arrest is unlikely, hence our plea for assistance.
While there are obviously more serious cases that require and deserve BPDs attention (acts of violence), we happen to be blessed to be part of a fiercely protective community known for its devotion to its neighbors. On behalf of a business owner who is well known in Southie for her generous nature and charitable work, we ask that anyone with any information related to this incident (or have exterior cameras in the vicinity) come forward and contact us at nurtureinformation@yahoo.com. We thank our many friends and neighbors who offered uplifting words and support, reminding us that goodness will prevail. Stay safe, South Boston!
