Sam’s Club in Coral Springs. {Google Maps}
By Ryan Yousefi
The Coral Springs Police Department has opened an investigation into the theft of a trailer that contained vaping materials valued at over $700,000.
On August 14, while conducting a routine patrol of the area near 750 North University Drive, an officer from the Coral Springs Police Department was flagged down by a man that claimed his semi-truck had been stolen.
According to the incident report, the man said he had parked his semi-truck in front of Sam’s Club at 950 University Drive and then went home for the night. He returned the next day to find his trailer missing and his semi-truck parked in a different spot than he had left it.
During an investigation into the man’s claims, police reviewed tow logs that confirmed the truck had not been towed and, upon closer inspection, discovered damage to the driver’s side lock.
Key in the investigation was that the stolen trailer was equipped with a GPS tracking device that, upon review, the trailer had been removed from the parking space at 5:00 a.m. and traveled to 210 North University Drive.
Upon being provided with the location, an officer responded to the area but could not locate the trailer.
A break in the search came as the Coral Springs Real Time Crime Unit was able to locate the stolen trailer on video surveillance pulling into the Auto Zone parking lot at 300 North University Drive at 5:07 a.m. and subsequently leaving at 5:11 p.m. traveling southbound on University Drive.
Investigators noted in the report that video surveillance footage showed a dark-colored Crossover vehicle following the trailer as a white semi-truck towed it. Officers responded to the Auto Zone to find the stolen trailer’s GPS had been discarded in the field behind the store.
In addition, the owner of the stolen trailer also located a second GPS tracker that was removed near the parking space at Sam’s Club, where the semi-truck had been re-parked.
After reviewing video surveillance footage, investigators have identified a suspect wearing a backpack and a hat who moved the truck. Despite reviewing CCTV footage from all businesses in the plaza, officers have not yet found any leads.
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