No arrests in $400,000 equipment theft

After thieves stole $400,000 worth of equipment from a local handyman service, the owner had to lay off one employee, and nothing has been recovered.

Brandon Brown’s Handyman Service in the 2000 block of Butte House Road was broken into July 2 through the back rollup door. The thieves made away with two company trucks outfitted with tools, as well as other equipment.

Brown said it has been a devas- tating blow to his business.

“I’m just doing whatever I can,” Brown said Friday.

For now, he and three other employees are using rental trucks and basic tools to do only jobs that are possible with what they currently have. Brown said he is also working with a local bank in securing a small business loan to get the bare necessities.

“They stole the heart of the company... that creates the cashflow that makes this business survive,” Brown said.

Brown’s wife, Gina Marie, told the Appeal-Democrat in an earlier interview that police said they passed by the thieves driving out the trucks, but thought it was her husband responding to an earlymorning call around 4:30 a.m. She said employees’ orange work shirts were also stolen.

Though Brown said people on social media said they spotted the stolen trucks in Chico and Shasta, there have been no more sightings.

“The biggest disappointment is that I’d have to earn at least 80 percent of what I lost all over again,” he said.

Another disappointment, he said, was having to lay off one employee. Brown said he is trying his best to make sure his three other employees will continue to have work.

“(That) was one of the results I didn’t want to happen, that happened,” he said.

Though the GoFundMe page set up in his owner has raised around $1,600, Brown said he is planning on asking his wife to take the page down, as he doesn’t like the idea of asking for money.

“I just want the opportunity to rebuild,” Brown said.