‘We are in the dark’: Owner clueless on why suspects threw Molotov cocktails into tattoo shop in Liberty Village

The owner of a tattoo shop in Liberty Village says he doesn’t know why three suspects threw Molotov cocktails into his business last week.

“The main thing right now is to figure out who did this and what’s the reason for it. Because clearly, it was a targeted attack,” Esteban Rodriguez, one of the owners of Heartless Ink, told CP24 on Friday morning.

Esteban Rodriguez, owner of Heartless Ink, speaks to CP24 after his tattoo shop was attacked on Aug. 14, 2024. (CP24)

“When something is targeted like that, well, there must be a reason behind it. And we are in the dark with it.”

The incident happened early on the morning of Aug. 14. Toronto police said they were initially called to the East Liberty Street and Hanna Avenue area for a fire. Officers later learned that four suspects allegedly deliberately started the fire.

Police said in a news release on Thursday that three suspects approached the shop, and one of them smashed the front window with an unknown object.

A surveillance video shared by police captured the suspects lighting up Molotov cocktails and throwing them into the store, causing a fire.

Stills taken from a video shared by Toronto police show suspects throwing Molotov cocktails into a store in Liberty Village on Aug. 21, 2024. (TPS)

Another person, seen in the video riding his bike, is believed to be the fourth suspect, who police say was acting as a lookout. All later fled the area.

Toronto Fire crews shortly responded and knocked down the fire. Police said no injuries were reported.

According to Rodriguez, he closed the shop around midnight. He recalled that around 3:30 a.m., he got a notification from the security system about broken glass. On his way to the shop, Rodriguez was informed by the property manager about a fire inside the unit.

When he arrived at the scene, the fire had already been knocked down, but his shop was filled with smoke. Rodriguez also saw broken glass from the shattered storefront window.

“The police were taping the perimeter, and then the first thing they asked me was, ‘Do you have any enemies?’ And that was quite shocking. I’m like, ‘No. Not that I know. Why?’ (They said) ‘well, there were multiple cocktails thrown through the windows. You were targeted,’” Rodriguez recounted.

“I didn’t know really what to say about the people that did it. The only thing I remember saying is I remember joking with the police officer saying, ‘I am pretty sure they got pretty pissed off how beautiful Heartless Ink look, and that’s why they want to target and attack and burn it down.’”

Heartless Ink tattoo shop in Liberty Village is pictured on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (CP24)

The shop was closed for two days so they could clean the damage. The storefront is boarded by plywood.

Rodriguez said employees were shocked when they learned about the incident and were looking for answers from him on who may be responsible and what the motive was.

“There’s worry in the air. Everybody feels like we got to be vigilant now,” he said.

The owner noted that he and his employees conduct business respectfully, which he said is reflected in the good reviews the shop gets from clients.

“We take very seriously our customer service. Our artists are top-of-the-line. Every artist and every part of the team is (an) honest, hardworking, professional individual. I handpick everybody that works in here to represent the brand,” he said.

The four suspects wanted in an arson investigation are seen in this combination photos. (Toronto Police Service)

On Thursday, police released descriptions of what the suspects were wearing but did not have information on their physical attributes.

One wore a black hoody, black face mask, light-coloured sweatpants, black shoes and black gloves. Two suspects had on a black hoody, black face mask, black pants, black shoes and black gloves.

The fourth suspect riding a bike was wearing a dark blue hoody, black face mask, black pants, black shoes, blue gloves, and a red gym bag.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-1400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or www.222tips.com.

With files from Steve Ryan