FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida man is offering a hefty reward for the return of an expensive air compressor that was stolen from his sand blasting business.
Surveillance cameras captured two men driving away with the compressor from Marina Mile Tank Cleaning, located at 1451 SW 21st Ave. in Fort Lauderdale, Sunday afternoon.
“Seeing the machine and seeing it all drive off, it hurt, ’cause that’s like my baby,” said business owner Dwayne Sands.
Sands said the duo pulled up in a white Chevy pickup truck at around 2:15 p.m. and gained access to the compressor through an unlocked gate.
“Knowing that [the compressor] was stolen in the day, these guys are brazen,” he said.
Surveillance video shows the thieves loading the heavy device in the truck.
“There’s a hitch that you have to unwind to load it. They load it up, and about five minutes after that they pulled off,” said Sands.
The stolen item, a 900 CFM (cubic feet per minute) air compressor, is valued at $60,000. It’s the biggest piece of equipment Sands owns.
The business owner discovered it was missing Sunday night.
“I was like, ‘Oh, my God, OMG,’ and I started to have a headache instantly,” he said.
Without that compressor, Sands said, some of his work is on hold.
Sands is offering the guys shown in the video $4,000 to just bring it back, no questions asked.
“I’ve worked really, really hard to come to this point, and to lose something like that, it’s a big loss,” he said.
If you have any information on this burglary, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
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