The Broward Sheriff’s Office is investigating two separate thefts of expensive boat electronics that happened blocks apart in Pompano Beach, according to law enforcement.
The most recent case occurred over the weekend at a townhome complex off Southeast 4th Street. Surveillance video shows a masked person in gloves walking on the dock before taking two 12-inch Garmin screens worth thousands of dollars.
A few weeks earlier, boat owner Jon Martin reported a similar theft outside his home on Southeast 2nd Street. Thieves removed navigation equipment and sound systems from his vessel. Home cameras captured a man walking toward the boat, and audio recorded what sounded like a cordless drill unbolting the gear.
“We saw they took all the speakers, amplifiers, and Garmins, $45,000 worth of damage,” Martin said. He estimated rewiring will cost another $5,000 because the thieves cut every wire. The boat’s Dark Tide logo was embedded in one of the stolen screens, and Martin said his family will be unable to use the boat for months.
Martin plans to reinstall the equipment with security bolts and an alarm system.
Law enforcement officials said they have seen an increase in boat electronics thefts along the Florida coast. Authorities advise owners to record serial numbers separately, install security cameras and report suspicious activity to Crime Stoppers.
