POMPANO BEACH, Fla. – A thief stole close to $25,000 in fishing rods and reels from a charter boat captain in Broward County, so on Friday he offered a cash reward to anyone who helps him recover his property — no questions asked.
Capt. Mark DiDario, Jr., of Lighthouse Point, uses his Buddy Davis 61 Sportfish “Waterdogged” to run his business out of a marina near East Atlantic Boulevard and North Riverside Drive in Pompano Beach.
“My whole life just kind of fell out.”
DiDario is hoping someone will help him to recover his custom fishing rods.
″This is how I put food on my table. I work every day on the water. We go fishing ... I need those to go to work.,” DiDario said.
Surveillance video shows he lost his hard-earned investment in minutes.
Under the cover of darkness, early Monday morning, DiDario said the burglar used a kayak to access the area of Sands Harbor Resort & Marina and tied it up to the dock.
Surveillance video shows the burglar was prepared to board DiDario’s boat. He quickly found a hidden spare key onboard, opened the door to access the fishing equipment, and placed it on the dock.
The video shows the burglar paddled across the Intracoastal Waterway to a vacant waterfront property that has been for sale. DiDario thinks it was a carefully planned heist and there was a getaway driver.
“I built these rods to do exactly what we need for us and they’re one of a kind, so somebody has these one-of-a-kind rods,” DiDario said.
There have been other victims of thieves who are exploiting the waterway access to marinas in Pompano Beach. Vinny Muratore knows their modus operandi. A thief stole from his NauticStar 32 Xs boat.
“What they will do is they will come through the canal quietly, board the boat from the water,” Muratore said, adding the thieves “take electronics and stuff and go away in the water.”
DiDario can be reached on Instagram or at 954-451-2628. Deputies ask anyone with information about the case to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.
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