3 Boynton businesses hit by burglars
‘These people have no morals,’ victim says
An estimated $60,000 worth of equipment was stolen from three Boynton Beach businesses by burglars, according to a U.S. Navy veteran who said he is one of the victims.
“This is a major crime. A major problem happening here in Boynton Beach and I’m a victim of it,” said Nicholas Petrino, owner of Fresh Start Maintenance Inc.
Petrino, a father who resides in West Palm Beach, says he started his business five months ago after serving in the Middle East.
He shared surveillance video that shows a white, Ford F-250 pickup truck pulling into a lot that he shares with other companies, along Industrial Avenue, west of I-95 near West Boynton Beach Boulevard.
He says the truck vehicle.
“They stole about $25,000 of equipment from me, around $30,000 from Vincent & Sons Landscaping Inc. and around $5,000 from Clean Air,” Petrino is the suspects’
said. “All my trimmers, my hedgers, my chainsaws, pole saws. They completely cleaned out my entire trailer.”
In the video, a man can be seen dressed in all black, wearing a mask, creeping along the fence inside.
Petrino says it appears the thief was trying to hide from the camera.
“It makes me believe that somebody knew something beforehand. This was not a random robbery,” he said.
According to the police report, Petrino said that his truck and trailer were backed all the way to the North fence, so that nobody could access the rear trailer door.
“This was orchestrated and planned to perfection, obviously, because they knew to pull the transmission line, which will make the truck move forward,” he said.
Petrino was hoping another hidden camera would provide a better view, but he says someone took the memory card.
“They know what they were doing, and they’re not just good people,” he said.
The small business owner faces a tough task. Not only does he have to let three employees go, he’s also scrambling to find out how he’s going to provide for his own family.
“These robbers did not think about how it affects the lives of the people. Three of my employees just lost their jobs, ways to provide to their families through me, while I now having to make sure my clients are taken care of, as well as my family,” Petrino said. “These people have no morals. I just hope they get caught and that justice is served.”
The Boynton Beach Police Department is investigating.
Petrino is offering a $3,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.
WPEC-CBS12 is a news partner of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.