Law enforcement officials in Florida report that it looks like pickups are being targeted for thefts along the I-75 corridor in and around Tampa.
Over the past two weeks, 18 pickups and two cars had their windows smashed in at three hotels in Pasco and Hillsborough counties. Stolen items valued at over $8,000 include guns and tools, according to fox13news.com.
“They’re targeting Pasco, they’re targeting Hillsborough, they’re targeting Tampa, that leads us to believe it could be a ring,” said Kevin Doll, community relations director at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.
“Why these people are targeting trucks we don’t know. It could be that there are more weapons or tools in these trucks.”
One of the trucks thieves broke into was a brand new 2016 Toyota Tundra CrewMax that was parked overnight on Sunday at the Wesley Chapel Sleep Inn.
Landon Rozier told fox13news.com that the windows on his Tundra had been smashed and that his $2,000 Versace sunglasses had been stolen.
“I walked outside to a busted window,” Rozier said. “I literally dropped to my knees and tears started coming out of my eyes because I knew I had been robbed.”
Fox 13 reports that it appears that thieves are targeting trucks parked in the back of hotels, which includes the Sheraton in East Tampa and the Hampton Inn in Wesley Chapel.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has reviewed surveillance video from the hotels and is now looking for two men in a dark, four door sedan.