- April 24, 2024
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The Mower Depot in Ormond Beach was robbed Monday, Oct. 2, marking the third time the business has been broken into in the past five years.
Owner Scott Edwards said the individuals came in through a side door at around 8:24 p.m., a little over three hours after the store's closing. The Mower Depot's video surveillance caught two people inside the store, though Edwards believe there were more involved. The pair spent a total of about three minutes inside the store, taking with them eight chainsaws and two backpack blowers.
Edwards said the stolen goods are valued at about $5,000 for all 10 items. The first time the store was robbed, the thieves stole about $30,000 worth of merchandise.
“They pretty much had their way and this time, they didn’t get quite that much," Edwards said. "They still got in which is disturbing. We’ve got to find a way to keep them out.”
The second time the store was broken into, The Mower Depot suffered about $10,000 worth of damage after the robbers damaged the store's media room. Edwards said lawn care stores like Mower Depot tend to be targets for robbers, since their merchandise is easier to sell on the street.
The store has taken preventative measures to secure their store in the last few years. The back door, which the robbers tried to unsuccessfully enter through this time, has a security bar across it. The back door appeared to have been pried open by a crowbar, but the security bar prevented their entry.
“It seems like every time something like this happens, we try to find holes in our security system," Edwards said.
The side door did not have a security bar, and that was where the suspects entered the store, triggering the store's motion detector. The robbery occurred in a span of eight minutes, and the suspects were gone by the time police arrived. Video surveillance showed the suspects leaving in a white SUV.
