FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Caught in the act! The search is on for the brazen burglar seen breaking into a local car dealership. Investigators say the crook smashed his way into Denny's Auto Sales on Palm Beach Boulevard and eventually made off with a safe.
And it was all caught on camera, as the suspect very neatly sneaked through the office, looking in desk drawers and taking things along the way.
When Tonya Hampton came in to work the next day, she saw the front window broken and thought it was just some kids. But then, "when someone asked me for petty cash I turned to the safe to get the money out and realized the safe was actually gone."
The burglar had his eye on a bigger prize, struggling to carry the safe out of the business.
Crime Stopper's Trish Routte found it unusual. "If they're going to take a safe, they usually have a dolly with them to haul it off, or they have a partner with them to carry it out."
And usually they haul it away in some sort of vehicle. But this guy had nothing but a bicycle.
"I think someone's going to know him. The fact that he's got a bicycle and not a car means he lives close to the area,” says Routte.
“He drove off with a safe on his bike and drove down the middle of Palm Beach Boulevard!. It was like 1:30, 2 o’clock in the morning. We just found it kind of humorous,” says Hampton.
Tonya actually acknowledges his effort. But she tells Fox 4 that if the pedaling pirate ever gets the safe open...joke’s on him. "Was it worth it? Don’t think so. There was $382 in the safe. I don't think the 82 pounds was worth it."
If you know anything that'll help investigators solve this case, you don't have to give your name and you could earn a cash reward when you call Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
