DAYTON — A tattoo shop changed its name to “Hit and Run” Tattoo after a former employee crashed his vehicle into the shop.
News Center 7 first showed you the security video from outside the shop in June. Police said the driver stole the car and crashed it into what was then called “District Tattoo Company.”
On Wednesday, News Center 7’s Taylor Robertson talked with the owner.
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The owner, Steve Salmons, said the driver crashed through several black booths that were inside. He used to have four, but only one still stands.
“I like it better, to be honest. I was considering getting rid of the booth, but it was a lot of work to get rid of them. So, he ended up helping me out by getting rid of them for me,” Salmons said.
He said his artists’ toolboxes that hold all of their supplies were destroyed. It’s now been about two months since then, and he said his ex-employee, Joshua Thomas, wrecked his store, shutting it down for several weeks.
“June first, I got a call at 7 in the morning from Dayton Police, saying that my windows are all broken and stuff like that, and I was like, this must be Josh,” Salmons said.
Thomas was arrested hours later. The day of the crash, Salmons said many other local tattoo artists stopped by to help clean up.
“Like the overwhelming feeling of the entire community, like John Gearhart, goes by Fudd from Anchorhead, he showed up with Alex, another employee there, and then people just started showing up,” Salmons said.
This past weekend, they celebrated the reopening with a flash sale where artists from other nearby shops came and did tattoos.
Salmons said they are waiting for the windows to be installed.
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