As a man shattered several windows with a U-shaped bike lock, employees of Saskatoon’s Bus Stop Refreshments sought safety in a bathroom.
The iconic double-decker bus-turned ice cream shop became a crime scene Sunday afternoon. Owner Allen Malberg said he was on the phone with his employees as the attack unfolded. He drove to the business in a matter of minutes.
“There was glass all over the inside of the bus, outside of the bus, five windows broken,” Malberg said.
He got a video from a Good Samaritan that shows a man wielding the bike lock, smashing out window after window. Malberg said his employees thought the first blow was a gun shot. They laid on the ground before retreating to the bus’ second level and barricading themselves in the bathroom.
The passerby was among the 20 or so customers that were at the bus stop at the time of the vandalism. Malberg credits him with trying to coax away the assailant and preventing further harm.
A staff member outside the bus watched the bystander’s young son as the man intervened.
“It felt like a movie, listening to what was going on and then driving up and seeing it,” Malberg said.
“It was a lot to take in in about five or 10 minutes.”
The refreshments stand reopened Tuesday, and the impacted employees have either returned to work or plan to do so in the coming days.
One staff member got a piece of glass in her eye and had to go to the hospital, but she should be okay, according to the owner. Everyone else was physically unharmed.
“It doesn’t mean that emotional and psychological damage of it is going to be gone right away,” Malberg said. The owner said the business is looking for counselling for those involved.
Around 5 p.m. Sunday, officers arrested a 43-year-old man nearby without incident, according to a Saskatoon Police spokesperson. The suspect was charged with causing mischief over $5,000.
The owner said the total damage estimate isn’t clear yet. The windows need to be custom-made and the rubber sealing is hard to find.
The total price tag will like range from $5,000 to $10,000, he said.
Since the attack, Malberg said the amount of support from customers has been “overwhelming.”
He’s also hoping to thank the man who recorded the video and got the suspect away from the bus. Malberg doesn’t know the Good Samaritan’s last name, but he’d like to offer a gift card to the man named Mike and his son.
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