MONROE COUNTY, Fla. – The Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Crime Stoppers are offering a combined reward of $5,000 for information abut a recent slew of marine thefts in the area.
"We really need some help on these cases," said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. "We are doing everything we can possibly do, but we really need people to come forward and help us nail these criminals."
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According to deputies, thieves are targeting boats in canals that are parked in residential neighborhoods, boats that are parked on the street on trailers and boats that are stored at marinas.
Detectives said the thieves are taking high-end electronics and lower units from the vessels.
Below is a list of thefts reported to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office from this week.
· A boat docked behind a home on 5th Avenue Gulf was burglarized between Sunday night and Monday morning; fishing equipment and a high-end Garmin GPS were stolen from a 31-foot Contender.
· A boat docked behind a home on Yellowtail Drive in Marathon was burglarized between Sunday night and Monday morning. A Garmin GPS unit was stolen from the center console of the vessel.
· A 26-foot Sailfish center console parked on a trailer next to a house on Channel Drive in Marathon was burglarized between 1:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. on Monday. A Garmin GPS was stolen along with rods and reels and a tackle box.
· A vessel docked behind a home on Corte Del Sol in Marathon was burglarized between Sunday night and Monday morning. A GPS system and three engine gauges were taken from the center console of the boat.
· A vessel docked at a home on Grouper Drive in Marathon was burglarized between Sunday night and Monday morning. A GPS system was taken from the vessel.
· A 30-foot Sailfish boat was burglarized while docked behind a home on Treasure Road in Marathon between Sunday night and Monday evening. A GPS and radar unit were taken from the center console.
· Between Monday night and Tuesday afternoon, a 28-foot Mako docked at the Sunshine Key Marina was burglarized. A Garmin GPS was stolen from the boat.
· Between Monday night and Tuesday morning, two lower units were taken from a 25-foot Mako boat docked at the Sunshine Key marina.
"There are people out there who know what is going on. They know who is responsible. We want those people to pick up the phone and report it. You don't have to tell us who you are. And we will pay you well for your information," said Ramsay. "It is a win-win for the person who calls. They can make a substantial sum of money and the suspect or suspects they report will never know who turned them in."
Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call detectives at 305-481-8060. Anonymous tips can also be made to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-346-TIPS.
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