ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — Authorities are on the lookout for an individual captured on security footage taking tools and supplies valued at over $3,000 from a Habitat for Humanity construction site.
Surveillance video obtained by News Channel 8 shows the suspect stealing from the home between the hours of 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. Thursday.
“They breached a window in the rear bedroom, made off with cabinets, and took all the power tools located at the site,” explained Rick Vail, chief construction officer of Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside.
The house, still being built, is part of the organization’s Veterans Build—a nationwide volunteer initiative that honors military veterans by providing them opportunities for affordable homeownership.
“Our families work extremely hard to get into the program and to do their hours and to help build on their homes and their neighbors’ homes,” Vail said.
The home will be given to a veteran upon its completion, which Vail told News Channel 8 had a closing date of August 1.
According to Vail, the homeowner was made aware of the early morning burglary.
“She’s not even in the home yet and already having concerns about her safety and things like that,” Vail said. “It could possibly delay the homeowner moving into her home.”
The cabinets were recently delivered on Wednesday, and now they will have to be reordered along with new tools.
“We build on donated money, so it will cause us to have to go out and raise more money to replace the things that were taken,” Vail explained.
News Channel 8 reached out to St. Petersburg Police on the matter, who say the incident is being investigated as a burglary.
Authorities add that the security camera, which caught the burglar,y will provide great assistance in the investigation and urge those to acquire one or multiple if possible.
“If possible, if that’s something you can afford, getting a camera of some sort on your property so, that way if when you’re not home or even in the middle of the night when you’re asleep, you kind of have that sense of security in your own home,” said Ashley Limardo, public information officer for St. Petersburg Police.
Anyone with any information on this incident is asked to contact St. Petersburg Police and can do so at 727-893-7780.
