Two Thieves Tried to Burglarize a Portland Community Center and Food Cart Pod

Two men broke into the Portland Mercado’s main building early Wednesday morning, KPTV Fox 12 first reported. The marketplace, food cart pod, and Latinx community and business center posted about it yesterday on its Facebook page, assuring readers that while it was an inconvenience, not much was taken, and the market’s upcoming annual festival Sabor de Latinoamérica would still continue.

“It’s a bummer, but everything is pretty much patched up,” said Mercado director Shea Flaherty Betin. Betin told Eater PDX that the burglars smashed open the front door at around 5:20 a.m. on September 4, then proceeded to try and smash open the ATM, badly damaging it but failing to get anything. They then snatched the register from Columbian bakery Qué Bacano — which luckily only held petty cash — and fled. Security cameras caught the two, and Portland Police are asking anyone who may know anything to contact them at the non-emergency line (503) 823-3333.

The Sabor de Latinoamérica, or Taste of Latin America, will continue unabated this Saturday, September 7, from noon to 7 p.m., and will feature dozens of speakers from across the Latin American community, as well as food, drinks, live music, and dancing. The event itself is free to attend, but the Mercado will be accepting donations to help with the $800 repair costs.

• Portland Mercado [Official]
• Caught on camera: Thieves break into Portland Mercado in SE Portland [KPTV]
• Sabor de Latinoamérica [Official]
• All Previous Portland Mercado Coverage [EPDX]