Stove Thefts

[KeepingItReal]

....

[BobnBev]

I'm surprised at Lt. Caruthers statement. It take more than one person to move,
load, and then unload a heavy stove. :police:

[Bill-n-Brillo]

I'm surprised at Lt. Caruthers statement. It take more than one person to move,
load, and then unload a heavy stove. :police:

Two wheel dolly with a strap would probably get the job done with one healthy person.

Bill :)

[graciegirl]

I would have to wonder about an appliance store that would continue to buy these stoves when they should have known there was a problem with multiple $500 stoves for $150..whatever happened to the charge of knowingly purchasing/receiving stolen property?

Police: Stove thief arrested
Published: Thursday, January 24, 2013
WILDWOOD
MILLARD K. IVES | Staff Writer
millardives@dailycommercial.com
This stove had features anyone would want -- with the exception of a thief.
Sumter County Sheriff's Officials said they have stopped a string of stove thefts from homes under construction in The Villages after a tracking device they had installed in one the appliances pointed them in the direction of the alleged thief.
James M. Strawder, 28, a laborer who worked on homes in the area, was charged last week with seven counts of burglary to a dwelling and nine counts of grand theft. He was released Friday on $76,000 bail.
Sheriff's Lt. Bobby Caruthers said the stoves started disappearing in homes being built in a neighborhood of The Villages outside of Wildwood in September of last year. The streets included Kimberwicke Avenue, Hillstream Street, Tearbarry and Brinkley lanes.
By December, nine had been stolen.
"We knew it wasn't an isolated incident," Caruthers said.
So, detectives began installing GPS tracking devices in some of the stoves. They had no luck until Jan. 4, when they
received a report that a stove stolen from a home on Kimberwicke had one of their tracking devices. The signal led them to Frederick's Appliances in Belleview, where the owner told detectives he had purchased a number of $500 stoves for $150 each from a man later identified as Strawder.
According to sheriff's detective Josh Greenwood, Strawder worked as a laborer in the area and had access to a master key of the homes in which the ovens were stolen.
Strawder was arrested at an industrial park in Wildwood. Caruthers said he appeared to be working alone in the thefts.

Here is an old thread on the same kind of theft.
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/three-arrested-villages-burglaries-53408/

[asianthree]

frigerator disappeared out of our new house before we closed they had to replace it

[2BNTV]

I'm glad he got burnt in the end. :jester:

[batman911]

This is one of the main reasons I try to repair things in our home rather than calling a repair person. I believe most of the thefts from homes are either connected to repair/construction people in the neighborhood or people you know and have let into your home. They already know what you have, where it is and if you have a security system. They can also get a good idea of your daily schedule through general conversation. Be careful who you let into your home and be especially vigilant in new neighborhoods where there is construction traffic.

[graciegirl]

This is one of the main reasons I try to repair things in our home rather than calling a repair person. I believe most of the thefts from homes are either connected to repair/construction people in the neighborhood or people you know and have let into your home. They already know what you have, where it is and if you have a security system. They can also get a good idea of your daily schedule through general conversation. Be careful who you let into your home and be especially vigilant in new neighborhoods where there is construction traffic.

I think the thefts of appliances being discussed were all in new construction homes before anyone moved in.

[l2ridehd]

I guess I also blame the person who bought the stoves. One maybe, two highly suspicious, 8 to 10 and he had to know they were stolen. I have used Fredrick's for appliance service a couple times, but they just lost me for a customer. I will not use them again.

[Bogie Shooter]

Isn't there a charge for receiving stolen property??

[Roaddog53]

And you believe that some guy goes to a house with a dolly, gets out of his truck, opens the door with a dolly, disconnects the stove, loads it on the dolly, than takes it to his truck...pickup, van, and "lifts" it from the dolly onto the bed of the truck.. Lmao. Maybe he just carried it on his back. Or.. He had a forklift. Don't pay attention to what they tell you in the media, who can not get any story straight, OR what the cop says. There is more to this story.
.

[l2ridehd]

Moving a stove by one person with a dolly is actually quite easy. A long time ago I used to deliver appliances for a store. Alone, with an appliance dolly and a pick up truck. Stoves were the easiest. Washers were hard. Refrigerators were the hardest. But again have moved a refrigerator from the store, delivered it to an apartment on the third floor (no elevator) and removed the old one. Now 45 years ago when I did this, those refrigerators were smaller then today, but were still heavy.

Even at my age today, I would not hesitate to move a stove by myself using a good dolly and a pickup truck. In fact about two years ago, did it. So yes a young in decent shape guy could do this very easily working alone. I would also guess he was working with someone, just to do it faster, or have a look out. But he could also do it alone.

[senior citizen]

I would have to wonder about an appliance store that would continue to buy these stoves when they should have known there was a problem with multiple $500 stoves for $150..whatever happened to the charge of knowingly purchasing/receiving stolen property?

Police: Stove thief arrested
Published: Thursday, January 24, 2013
WILDWOOD
MILLARD K. IVES | Staff Writer
millardives@dailycommercial.com
This stove had features anyone would want -- with the exception of a thief.
Sumter County Sheriff's Officials said they have stopped a string of stove thefts from homes under construction in The Villages after a tracking device they had installed in one the appliances pointed them in the direction of the alleged thief.
James M. Strawder, 28, a laborer who worked on homes in the area, was charged last week with seven counts of burglary to a dwelling and nine counts of grand theft. He was released Friday on $76,000 bail.
Sheriff's Lt. Bobby Caruthers said the stoves started disappearing in homes being built in a neighborhood of The Villages outside of Wildwood in September of last year. The streets included Kimberwicke Avenue, Hillstream Street, Tearbarry and Brinkley lanes.
By December, nine had been stolen.
"We knew it wasn't an isolated incident," Caruthers said.
So, detectives began installing GPS tracking devices in some of the stoves. They had no luck until Jan. 4, when they
received a report that a stove stolen from a home on Kimberwicke had one of their tracking devices. The signal led them to Frederick's Appliances in Belleview, where the owner told detectives he had purchased a number of $500 stoves for $150 each from a man later identified as Strawder.
According to sheriff's detective Josh Greenwood, Strawder worked as a laborer in the area and had access to a master key of the homes in which the ovens were stolen.
Strawder was arrested at an industrial park in Wildwood. Caruthers said he appeared to be working alone in the thefts.

Thanks for posting that...........and "keeping it real".

[senior citizen]

This is one of the main reasons I try to repair things in our home rather than calling a repair person. I believe most of the thefts from homes are either connected to repair/construction people in the neighborhood or people you know and have let into your home. They already know what you have, where it is and if you have a security system. They can also get a good idea of your daily schedule through general conversation. Be careful who you let into your home and be especially vigilant in new neighborhoods where there is construction traffic.

Words of wisdom........and excellent advice.

Up until approximately a decade ago, we'd think nothing of going for our walks and leaving all the doors to our home open. That's how safe our town was.

Perhaps it's the media coverage of all the unsavory "stuff" going on in our world, but we now make sure to lock up.

Whenever we have home renovations done, we feel fairly safe in that we've known the same contractor since his boyhood......ditto for our landscaper......since he was a newborn infant. Know the families, etc.
Good "salt of the earth" upstanding families and good young adults.

However, often they have to hire on "extra workers" to do various "day labor" and it's then that I'm more concerned.

Lately, I've been thinking that when we go away for a month or more and tell the paper carrier to "hold our papers" or the mailmen to "hold our mail", lots of people know the home is vacant.

Just have to keep our trust in the majority.

Years ago I would let everyone right into the front foyer.....whether they were collecting for various charities or if they were Green Peace volunteers or college kids trying to make some tuition money........not so anymore.........which is sad when I think about it.

A lot of people feel crime has escalated due to the need to fund drug habits. Again, sad.

Anyone familiar with that "home invasion" in Connecticut of the doctor's wife, two daughters, etc.........nice tranquil neighborhood such as we live in now..........knows what I'm talking about. It can happen and it does happen..........no matter where one lives. Cheshire, CT. looked to be the quintessential lovely place to raise a family. Does anyone know what happened to those ex cons? Probably both on death row, which will take 25 years..........

[graciegirl]

Moving a stove by one person with a dolly is actually quite easy. A long time ago I used to deliver appliances for a store. Alone, with an appliance dolly and a pick up truck. Stoves were the easiest. Washers were hard. Refrigerators were the hardest. But again have moved a refrigerator from the store, delivered it to an apartment on the third floor (no elevator) and removed the old one. Now 45 years ago when I did this, those refrigerators were smaller then today, but were still heavy.

Even at my age today, I would not hesitate to move a stove by myself using a good dolly and a pickup truck. In fact about two years ago, did it. So yes a young in decent shape guy could do this very easily working alone. I would also guess he was working with someone, just to do it faster, or have a look out. But he could also do it alone.

Just bumping this. Thanks Bill and Chris for calm logic.

[BogeyBoy]

I don't think it is unusual for something to be "borrowed" from one house to be installed on another. So for someone to go to a new house and remove something would not seem strange to a worker.

Here's an example: When our first house was being built here I drove by one day to check the progress. Only one worker was there and he was tinkering with the carriage light out front. I asked what he was doing and he said fixing the light. Drove by a half hour later and he - and the light - were gone. Just by chance I saw him at another house in the neighborhood installing "my" light. Of course by the time we closed all lights were in place, but who knows if he was told to go get that light to replace a broken/missing light or if he took it upon himself and my contractor had to go and procure another when he drove up and mine was gone.

So someone wheeling out a stove could simply state, "I'm taking it down to lot xxx-xx to replace a broken one because they are closing tomorrow." Then he drives it right on out of TV.

[2BNTV]

Just for a little humor.

A woman was coming home one day and saw a person tying to come through double doors in an old neighborhood type home. As she was helping him keeping the door open so he could get out, As she was doing this, she was saying to herself, that television looks a lot like mine. She then went upstairs and found her television missing. :eek:

This is a true story. My point is that on new construction sites, it's much easier to steal something as one does not know if they are delivering and or replacing an appliance until it is gone for good.

I agree the store owner should have been penalized for receiving solen property. I would tend to think he knew it was stolen because he paid $150 for a brand new $500 stove.

As they say on sportscenter, "come on man!!!!!!!!

[Cantwaittoarrive]

And you believe that some guy goes to a house with a dolly, gets out of his truck, opens the door with a dolly, disconnects the stove, loads it on the dolly, than takes it to his truck...pickup, van, and "lifts" it from the dolly onto the bed of the truck.. Lmao. Maybe he just carried it on his back. Or.. He had a forklift. Don't pay attention to what they tell you in the media, who can not get any story straight, OR what the cop says. There is more to this story.
.

Actually many times I have picked up a stove, washer or dryer with straps all by my little old lonesome and carried it on my back to a bed of a pickup or carried it into a house. A dolly can also make it easy. I'm 53 if I can do it a younger man should easily be able too

[justjim]

Isn't there a charge for receiving stolen property??

Appliance store is in Marion County. Sumter county would have no jurisdiction but with this information Marion County or Bellview might still charge the appliance store owner.

[senior citizen]

Here is an old thread on the same kind of theft.
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/three-arrested-villages-burglaries-53408/

Posted yesterday 2/4/2013 by Gracie.

I read it this morning and replied this morning.

All i said was that they weren't too smart to not realize they would be caught.

[batman911]

Appliance store is in Marion County. Sumter county would have no jurisdiction but with this information Marion County or Bellview might still charge the appliance store owner.

They will need to prove the person at the store who purchased the stolen appliances knew that they were stolen. That may be hard to prove.

[graciegirl]

What is the name again? The appliance store?

Putting them on MY avoid list.I am like Chris. Who in their right minds wouldn't know they were hot?????

[Bogie Shooter]

Getting bad on TOTV when you have to explain why you posted!

[Bill-n-Brillo]

What is the name again? The appliance store? ......

From KeepingItReal's initial post:

"The signal led them to Frederick's Appliances in Belleview, where the owner told detectives he had purchased a number of $500 stoves for $150 each from a man later identified as Strawder."

Bill :wave:

[paulandjean]

They will need to prove the person at the store who purchased the stolen appliances knew that they were stolen. That may be hard to prove.

Then they would be charged with, "Being in possession of stolen equipment.

[Cantwaittoarrive]

They will need to prove the person at the store who purchased the stolen appliances knew that they were stolen. That may be hard to prove.


What is the name again? The appliance store?

Putting them on MY avoid list.I am like Chris. Who in their right minds wouldn't know they were hot?????

I use to own an overstock business, we would buy overstock merchandise from the original manufacuter by the truckload for 10 to 20 percent of the wholesale price and then turn around and sell to stores for less money than they could buy wholesale so I can see where a store owner would not think it all that unusual for someone offering brand new $500 stoves for $150