JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The owner of Kitty’s Car Wash in Northwest Jacksonville said repeated burglaries in less than a month have left thousands of dollars in damage and put the business’s future at risk.
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Imagine showing up to your business and finding it broken into not once, not twice, but three times in less than a month.
That’s what Nakita Watley, who owns Kitty’s Car Wash on Lem Turner Road, says happened May 3, May 16 and May 27. Watley said burglars kicked in a back wall to get into the lobby and “ransacked” the interior, leaving steering columns torn apart and glass scattered on the ground.
“You can see right here. Clearly see where they kicked in the wall from the back to the lobby,” Watley said. “But this is where they ransacked everything.”
Watley said rental vehicles kept on the lot were also targeted. She pointed to a red Hyundai and a black Kia Optima she said were broken into multiple times.
“They break here, and then they go for the steering column,” she said. “They just destroy it all.”
Watley estimated about $2,500 in repairs so far — not including revenue lost when rental cars could not be used. The damage, she said, affects employees and customers as well.
Police reports for the incidents were pending. A review of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office crime map shows, within the last month on that stretch of Lem Turner Road, three thefts, three motor vehicle thefts and two burglaries reported in the area.
“If things don’t change within the coming months, that might mean at the end of our lease, we might have to close down,” Watley said.
Watley said her primary concern is protecting the future of the business and the livelihoods of the employees who depend on it.
Jacksonville City Council Member Reggie Gaffney Jr. who represents the district where the business is located, released a statement.
My office was recently made aware of concerns regarding a homeless encampment located on private property near businesses in the area.
Because the encampment is located on private property, the City must follow established procedures before any action can be taken. My office will coordinate with the appropriate City departments, including Municipal Code Compliance, JSO, and JFRD, to identify the property owner and determine what options are available. Any access to the property will require coordination with, and authorization from the property owner. Once we have that, we will be able to address this matter accordingly.
I am asking for everyone’s patience because typically, the longest part of this process is contacting the property owner, but we will get it addressed.
I value our small businesses and I value our unhoused population, but the safety and protection against unlawful acts is something I value as well.
City Council Member Reggie Gaffney Jr.