POMPANO BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — Owners of a burglarized car dealership hope surveillance video can help police catch a pair of crooks who tried to make off with two vehicles at their business.
Chuck Carlson told 7News that his family has owned the parking lot in Pompano Beach for about 30 years. Carlson’s nephew, Matthew Woloszn, owns the business and said when he walked into work Thursday morning, he found the air conditioning unit taken out of the wall and thrown to the ground. He believes it was an attempt to get inside to steal keys for two cars on the lot.
Surveillance cameras caught two men as they checked out the cars and looked under the hood of several vehicles at the lot. After scoping out the cars, they made their move. “They came over to the side here. You see them wiggling the A.C. unit, pushing it in through the wall, ” Woloszn said.
One man, who wore black shorts and a shirt over his head, climbed into the business. “The guy walks over and takes some keys off the bottom hooks, and he walks out, leaves, and they run,” Woloszn said.
The keys are for a 2001 Mazda Protege and a 2009 PT Cruiser. While the keys were stolen, both vehicles remained on the lot the next morning.
The business has been a target before, and Woloszn told 7News that he wasn’t surprised the two crooks didn’t take the cars. “I mean, we’ve had it happen before where someone comes in, and they take keys, and next thing you know, they’re too late or the cars are missing,” he said.
In 2015, police showed up to the business to check on a prowling call. According to that surveillance video, once officials arrived on scene, the suspect took off with one of the cars. Officials weren’t able to catch the suspect in that case. “People taking cars in the neighborhoods and stuff, just cruising around in them and ditching them,” Woloszn said. “I don’t know what fun that would be. Just driving a car around and parking it.”
The business owners said they will do what they can to make sure that crooks don’t get the cars they may have had their eyes on. “I don’t know why they do it,” Woloszn said.
If you know who these two men are, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.
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