New swim school in Sacramento's Land Park vandalized on opening night, owner says

CBS News

15-05-2025

SACRAMENTO -- A new swim school in Sacramento's Land Park neighborhood fell victim to vandalism that had long plagued their once-vacant building on Broadway.
Little Whale Swim School opened its second Sacramento location last week on what was once one of the city's busiest commercial business corridors.
The swim school converted an old vacant bank building into a custom-built indoor swimming pool 25 feet wide by 50 feet long.
"As a new business, I knew what we were moving into. The first time we looked at this building, there was a homeless encampment, human feces, drug paraphernalia. But I wasn't afraid," said Anya Hall, Owner of Little Whale Swim School. "I want to be part of the revitalization of the downtown and Tower District. We're here to stay," said Anya Hall, Owner of Little Whale Swim School.
The local business hosted their grand opening, and hours after it ended, surveillance footage showed a man cut through the locks on the gate, a lock box, and attempt to break into a storage container in the parking lot. There was nothing inside, Hall told CBS13, as it was cleared out for the grand opening. But the vandalism required the business to change the locks within 48 hours of opening their doors.
The person did not enter the facility, Hall said, but the attempt was enough to put the opening off to a "kind of sad start."
The break-in isn't the only challenge Little Whale has faced since opening. In just its first week, Hall says the business has dealt with package thefts, vandalism, and even dumping incidents including abandoned boats and dead fish in the parking lot.
Little Whale expects to serve around 2,000 students a week, offering swim lessons to children in a safe and controlled environment.
"I hope we can band together with the community," Hall said. "We need more attention on this area… to keep it safe."
Despite the start, Hall remains committed to staying and helping rebuild the Broadway corridor. Hall says they've filed a police report.