Police are searching for thieves who they say stole thousands of dollars’ worth of landscaping equipment within the past year.
Police say of the nearly 300 burglary cases in Vineland, New Jersey this year, more than a third of them have involved landscaping equipment swiped from garages and sheds. They believe drug addicts are likely responsible for the thefts.
“It’s very frustrating because it just keeps happening,” said Vineland Police Detective Luis Rodriguez.
The latest victim of the thefts, Diane Velez, told NBC10 more than $3,000 worth of tools, including a compressor, power-washer and leaf blowers, was stolen from her garage outside her Vineland home overnight after someone broke her lock.
“We just feel violated and I’m a little scared now,” Velez said. “I wish they can do whatever they can do to stop this kind of stuff. This is our stuff. We bought it. We worked hard for it. We use it all the time and now we don’t have it.”
Investigators say they’ve made a handful of arrests in the burglaries but the crimes have continued despite that. They’re now reaching out to the public and asking for help.
“Try and find out who’s out there buying this equipment, who’s selling this equipment,” Detective Rodriguez said. “Just to try something different. If we can find out who what person is, we can stop that supply and demand.”
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Police are asking the public to be on the lookout for anyone who has a large amount of landscaping equipment or anyone who is trying to sell equipment at prices that seem too good to be true. They also believe the thieves are operating beyond Vineland and Cumberland County.
“It’s not a localized issue,” Detective Rodriguez said. “It’s crossing multiple jurisdictions. It could be Gloucester, Camden. It’s all over.”
Police say it’s important to keep a detailed list of your equipment, including the manufacturer, model and serial number, to make it easier to return if it’s ever stolen and recovered.
If you have any information on the thefts, please call Vineland Police.
