The Mission Hill Community is mourning a beloved hardware store owner who was shot and killed during what Boston Police say was a robbery. Andres Cruz's business had recently been named Mission Hill Main Streets business of the year. The neighborhood where he was loved is still in shock.
Puerto Rican flags blow above flowers, letters, candles and cards in front of AC Hardware on Tremont Street in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood, where 58-year-old Cruz was a community mainstay.
Police say Cruz was shot and killed during a broad daylight robbery on Tuesday, July 18 inside the store he owned for decades and worked in daily. It’s clear his murder has hit the neighborhood hard. Black ribbons hang on the doors nearby.
This is a close-knit businesses community. Dave Hassman, who runs Boston Property Services a few doors down, remembered Cruz as a "very nice gentleman."
“He was great to us, he was great to everyone in the neighborhood," Hassman said. "He helped us with maintenance and did our window screens. We’ll just miss his smile.”
Customers like Korey Laznick will miss Cruz’s personal touch. Laznick says that’s hard to find.
“An amazing operation, great local guy, takes care of everybody," Laznick said. "He treated every day like it was his first day on the job. He cared about every customer. Whether it was a $.50 sale or a $500 sale, he wanted you to have the best experience you could have.”
Because of that kind of service, Cruz’s store was named the 2017 Business of the Year by the Mission Hill Main Streets, with a ceremony attended by Mayor Marty Walsh.
It’s a small business community that the city is helping to grow into a thriving community.
There are 40,000 small businesses in the city that generate $15 billion in annual revenue. And, Boston officials are pushing to create more community-oriented businesses like AC hardware. Customers like Kory Laznick say small businesses like AC Hardware are priceless.
“You don’t see operations like this in the field that exist anymore," Laznick said. "They all closed down when big box came in.”
But for now, this neighborhood is focused on healing.
Boston police arrested three men who are all being charged with first degree murder and weapons charges in connection with the shooting. Hassman hopes that brings some small sense of peace to Cruz’s family and says, although this is a blow, he and others are committed to staying in the community,
“In our shop, we’re not doing anything differently," he said. "We're a little shook up with the recent events ... We’ll just be cautious and that’s all we can do."
As for the store — it’s closed for now, and its future remains uncertain.
