DANIA BEACH, Fla. – Surveillance cameras were rolling as two crooks on a four-wheeler made a quick stop at the docks of the Thunderboat Marine Service Center in Dania Beach on Wednesday night.
Within minutes, they were off with a marine GPS valued at thousands of dollars.
“This is going to put us back tremendously, the cost of the navigation, the time down, we don’t get to enjoy it,” said victim Wayne Hemming.
The video shows the thieves pull up to the boat, one man drops off the other who jumps on the boat and steals the equipment.
When he’s done, the getaway driver returns and the two are off, leaving a gaping hole in the center console of Hemming’s boat and even more damage.
“The navigation is about four grand, plus the labor, plus the wire, plus everything else that’s connected to it,” he said. “Not only did they take it, they cut the wires, which makes for more damage.”
Hemming said he still hasn’t had time to properly secure his boat, but he says normally he would’ve changed out the screws and added a steel bar across the equipment, making it much harder thieves to take it.
If the crime looks familiar, it’s because Local 10 News has reported on similar thefts in the boating community before.
In 2023, boat owners at Complete Marine in Pompano Beach fell victim to thieves who were after the same pricey equipment.
In that case, sheriff deputies said a trio of thieves were to blame for a number of thefts, and they were arrested.
Hemming believes the items are being sold on the street for top dollar, but with the technology registered to its owner, he says it’s only a matter of time before they’re caught
“The minute someone registers it or puts it online, it’ll ping,” said Hemming. “Hopefully the authorities will pick them up.”
Anyone who thinks they recognize the people in the video or with information on the theft is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.