Man facing charges after Westboro store trashed

Ottawa police say a 24-year-old man is facing charges following a bizarre incident at a store in Westboro on Monday.

Wedel Touch of Europe said on social media that a man entered the store on Richmond Road and began smashing product on the ground. In a message to CTV News Ottawa, the owner said he also threw a chair at an employee.

"Yesterday, an individual entered our Westboro location and proceeded to damage and demolish a great deal of our stock and equipment. We are very fortunate that nobody was hurt, but staff are certainly shaken up by the event. It was a very unexpected situation,"  a social media post by the store said.

"We are overwhelmed by the support of the community around us. We are really feeling the love. We are looking forward to putting this unfortunate event behind us. We are OPEN and are very much looking forward to seeing you all at the shop."

It happened around 3 p.m., Ottawa police said. The store closed early on Monday to clean up.

Police told CTV News Ottawa by email that the man is charged with assault with a weapon, mischief to property and causing a disturbance.

An image shared on Instagram shows damaged product on the floor at Wedel Touch of Europe in Westboro. (Wedel Touch of Europe/Instagram)

The Westboro store made headlines in 2021 when someone smashed its front window on its opening day, causing $14,000 in damage.