Deputies continued taking reports and detectives keep investigating marine related thefts in the middle and lower Keys. The Sheriff’s Office is encouraging anyone who has a boat or diving and fishing equipment to take time to make sure their property is as secure and safe as possible.
“We are working all of these cases hard,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “But we need the help of our partners out there in the community. Secure your property; watch out for suspicious people in your neighborhood on land or on the water. Call us immediately if you see someone who doesn’t belong there. Someone out there knows something about this and we want to hear from anyone who thinks they have anything relevant that might help us with these cases.”
· Deputy Donald Stulken responded to a home on Spanish Main Drive on Cudjoe Key Monday. The owner of a boat at that location said someone stole his GPS from his boat sometime between January 2nd and the 5th.
· Deputy Jorge Prince responded to Jamaica Lane, Sugarloaf Key Monday evening. A man who lives there said he got home from vacation to find his boat, which was on a trailer, had been pushed out from underneath his house. A 20 HP Mercury engine had been taken from the back of it. He said after he saw the engine missing, he noticed his friend’s boat was missing a GPS unit from on board.
· A man who lives on La Brisa Lane on Sugarloaf Key reported Monday he found his two lower units from the engines on his boat were missing. He said he was gone after the 25thand had a friend check the boat several times. He said when his friend checked the boat on the 29th, he saw the lower units were missing.
· A Marathon man who lives on Pirates Cove Drive on Stirrup Key called the Sheriff’s Office Monday. He told Deputy Caridad Calloway his boat had been burglarized overnight. He said someone took his GPS / Depth Finder from his boat, which was docked in his canal.
· A man flagged down Detective Chris Duncan outside Fiesta Key Marina. He reported someone stole his boat – a 30 foot 2002 Contender – which was parked by the boat ramp on a trailer. The boat has twin Yamaha outboard engines and was on a 2013 Continental trailer.
· A man told Deputy Lazaro Valdes his 15’ Ranger boat trailer had been taken from a storage lot on Front Street, Stock Island in the vicinity of the Safe Harbor Marina. He said he last saw the trailer in October and noticed it was missing on December 31st.
· Deputy Gil Gonzalez responded to Mockingbird Lane in Marathon where a man reported the lower unit from his boat motor was stolen. He said the lower unit was from a 225 HP Suzuki. He said he last saw it the first week of November and was told by a neighbor it was missing at the beginning of December.