CINCINNATI — Inside Sole Bros shoe store off Reading Road, shelves aren't the only thing empty. Owner Hunter Emigh is feeling the stress of the moment, too.
"Man, some days, it's hard. I will say that," Emigh said. "After this happened, I told my employees straight up, 'I'm (going to) just close.' Literally, I was done with it."
Around 3 a.m. on Oct. 8, he received an alert on his phone from the security company ADT.
"I woke up, rushed over (to the store)," he said. "Ironically, (I) had just missed them by about 17 to 19 minutes, roughly. They had just left the shop."
Emigh said the three men, who he shared pictures of, stole more than 50 clothing items, about a dozen pairs of shoes and 100 right shoes. The cost to his business is roughly $45,000, he estimated.
"I realized that they took almost every other shoe to a lot of the pairs that were on the wall," Emigh said. "At that point, you know, it really was just like a demoralizing thing."
CPD is investigating a burglary that occurred at 528 Reading Rd. on 10/8/24 at approximately 2:00 a.m. If you recognize this individual, please submit a anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040 or call Det. Bell at 513-352-3518. pic.twitter.com/UJ9nxWh1Ax
— Cincinnati Police Department (@CincyPD) October 14, 2024
The Cincinnati Police Department is investigating the incident.
"The one thing I would say is if anybody was out (Oct. 8) between those times of 3 a.m. to even 6 a.m. ... if they've seen anything in the area, or one shoe, stolen clothing, really anything, just to reach out," Emigh said.
This is the second time Emigh and his shop have dealt with issues in the last 18 months.
"At the old shop, a car drove through the front door," he said. "This business and entrepreneurship has been a true test of everything for me."
In the aftermath, Emigh and his employees cleaned up disheveled shelves and heaping piles of left-shoe-only boxes.
"I've been moving closer to God and trying to learn the ways that he lived, the ways that we should be living," he said. "A lot of people need to ... I'm still upset, but I don't want to carry more hate in my heart."
While Emigh harbors no hate for the individuals responsible, he is asking people to see if they recognize them so they can be held accountable.
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