A daring theft caught on camera - a Pasco County homeowner working on her front yard left her garage open - and in the middle of the day, security footage catches a man pulling his truck over and taking lawn equipment totally nearly $1,000.
Deputies arrested 29-year-old Brian Arcarola the next day but the lawn equipment they say he grabbed is no where to be found.
"I will never make this mistake again," said Michelle Pate, the homeowner, about leaving her garage door open.
"I think how he saw them was once he went down the street and turned around and that's when he saw them on the wall when he was coming from this direction," she said, pointing down the street. "They are bright orange equipment. You can't miss it."
Pate is getting another security camera installed after the incident.
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But after posting to Facebook, someone recognized Arcarola and deputies in Pasco County arrested him at a home in New Port Richey.
Frank Bishop, owner of Pawn Star in New Port Richey says he deals with folks trying to sell stolen items a few times a year, but it's not as common as you think - mainly because of the documentation process which includes a finger print, photo ID and signature.
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"That's a very documented record, there is no saying I didn't do it," he said.
The information is entered into a database directly connected to law enforcement. If an item is reported stolen, an alert will go out to pawn shops and if there's a match, the pawn shop alerts police.
"If this came in and that was peeled off off, I wouldn't take the item," Bishop says, pointing out the serial number on an item in his store. "Because I can't document serial number."
Bishop says many times the items are sold under the table - in parking lots for cash with no questions asked.
There are three things you can do before something is stolen, to better your chances of getting it back.
- Write down the serial number for every item of value and make a copy for a family member in case it's stolen or lost.
- Take a picture of the item
- Engrave a symbol, number, or your name on the item.
