DORAL, Fla. – Jose Centeno said he lost $25,000 in equipment during a burglary at the headquarters of IQ Restoration, a company dedicated to water damage restoration services in Miami-Dade County.
Centeno had been victimized before. He decided to move to the United States after the rise in crime in Venezuela made it difficult for him to safely run a profitable business there.
“It’s sad that I experienced this situation in my country and you know living this again here — it is not fair,” said Centeno, who has been a proud U.S. Citizen since last year.
Surveillance video shows how three burglars in disguise broke into Centeno’s business on Monday morning in Doral and stole half of the company’s equipment
“It’s going to be hard for us,” Centeno said.
One of the thieves broke through the glass door. Centeno said the trio walked by pricey electronics and rushed straight to the back area for the most valuable equipment.
“They knew where to go directly,” Centeno said. “No computers were stolen, no iPads were stolen.”
It took them just about 5 minutes to steal the small company’s essential equipment, which includes expensive humidifiers and air scrubbers. It took police officers about 10 minutes to respond.
Centeno said the burglary was on a moving day. They had been working on relocating the business.
Detectives were asking anyone with information about the case to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.