NAPLES, Fla. -- Thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of equipment from a Naples business for the second time in two weeks over the weekend, and several businesses in the area told Fox 4 they have also been victimized, Friday.
Kevin Sperry, the owner of Atlantic West Molding and Millwork, had his entire trailer of equipment stolen from behind his business on Saturday. "About two weeks ago they cleaned me out and I guess they figured I retooled it," he said. "Without that I can't get my product to the job site, nor can I get it installed.
He is not the only one who's been hit. At least five different businesses in the area have had trucks or equipment stolen over the last few months.
Sperry's neighbors have cameras installed and said they would look through their footage for possible suspects. "They've been hitting the area pretty hard the last two weeks. They've been stealing from quite a few different businesses," he Dominic Lamanna, from Sunset Carpet and Tile. "They tried to break into our trailers but they weren't able to.
Business owners described the band of thieves as cunning and professional. Sperry said they wear all black and ski masks. He said they stake out at businesses to find their opportunity. "They drive around, they'll see us loading our trailer, they'll take a snapshot of what's in there, they'll write down the address of where they're at, they may not hit us that day, they may wait a week, a month, two months," he said.
Fox 4 took their concerns to the Collier County Sheriffs office, who said they are monitoring the area and working with the people who work there to prevent future thefts. "Whether it's lighting, video, or locks, they'll offer them recommendations that are helpful to the businesses and helpful to us. Often times if we get someone on video, that's a big help," said Sgt. Drew Dunn.
Sperry hopes that business in the area band together to make a neighborhood watch to keep these criminals away. "It doesn't only affect me, but it affects the nine employees that I have because they rely on this business to function in order to get their pay checks. With out us being able to get our product on the wall, it really hurts," said Sperry.
