The owner of Maddie Mac Boutique says she is grateful the fire wasn’t much worse.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Fire is investigating arson at Maddie Mac Boutique. The local shop is known for its custom creations for Fiesta and Día de los Muertos.
Owner Maggie Ibarra-Jimenez has had the shop off Vance Jackson near Loop 410 for nearly 25 years.
“We are very much puro San Antonio here,” Ibarra-Jimenez said.
Party headpieces, custom designs and anything unique is what you will find at the shop. In fact, Ibarra-Jimenez said they custom make almost everything your heart desires.
“Fiesta is one of our biggest seasons of the year,” she said. “Being that Fiesta is our Christmas, it is all hands on deck. We start early.”
However, last Friday morning Ibarra-Jimenez came across a major setback for her business. She said she showed up to work and noticed something was off outside with her pink display made for Mother’s Day.
“I noticed that it look burned and my heart sank,” she said.
She says she got up closer and saw windows busted and a burned area.
“I have raised three children,” she said. “And this is my child here. This is very much a part of me and somebody has hurt my child. Somebody has hurt something that is very precious to me.”
San Antonio Police along with San Antonio Fire are both investigating. Police are calling it criminal mischief while SAFD confirms there’s an active arson investigation.
While Ibarra-Jimenez feels devastated, she said she’s grateful it wasn’t much worse.
“I don’t know how, but by the grace of God it was very isolated,” she said. “I keep thinking my sweet Jesus every morning.”
She said since her building is old this is going to be no little fix. She said the fire impacted the structure and the estimated costs are in the thousands.
“The more I get a review of what needs to be done, it keeps tallying it up,” she said. “I know I will get through it. I keep telling myself that.”
Ibarra-Jimenez said this also comes at a time when business is slow, especially in the summer. She encourages people to shop local. She said the Fiesta community is trying to help her raise funds to show support.