Theft Of Batman Statue From Downtown Everett Comic Shop No Joke

While it may be easy to make jokes, the owners of Everett Comics are not laughing after one of their front windows was smashed overnight and a four and a half foot tall statue of Batman was taken. The damage and loss are valued at thousands of dollars. Owned by Charlie and Tracy Knoedler the store has operated in Everett for 38 years and today was the anniversary of the store at its current location at Hewitt and Wetmore. The store moved to that location after being extensively damaged in a fire at its prior location on Colby Avenue beneath the Strand Hotel.

Store owner Tracy Knoedler told MyEverettNews.com last week she wrote a letter to Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin asking for more help for downtown merchants as acts of vandalism and issues with people experiencing homelessness have been causing increasing problems. “This is so unacceptable,” said Knodler. “The problem has never been as bad as it is now.” She also expressed thanks for the fast work of the Downtown Everett Association clean up crew who were quick to assist cleaning up the broken glass. The store owners are gathering video from nearby businesses and say it appears two people were responsible and used a red hatchback. They are asking anyone who may have knowledge of the theft or who sees the statue being offered for sale on collectable sites or elsewhere online to please call the Everett Police. The number of the Everett Police Tip Line is (425) 257-8450.

Recently the City of Everett surrounded Wetmore Plaza with barricades closing off access to the fountain and gathering space in front of the Cope Gillette Theatre and the Everett Performing Arts Center. On Wednesday Mayor Franklin reported to the Everett City Council that the area was blocked off due to damage to the fountain and plaza.
“We’re experiencing multiple challenges with folks vandalizing the fountain and that area and as we are working in partnership with the county to get people into housing and services and to enforcement activities and also to address any illegal activity we expect it to be kind of stabilized over the next few days,” Franklin reported. “Hopefully in the coming weeks we plan to reopen that, we’re certainly planning on opening it this season and just needed to close it to kind of take care of some of the situation downtown and so that’s what the Parks Department has done to protect the fountain and the asset there at Wetmore Plaza.”