Trailer theft leaves TJ’s owner angry, puzzled
By HARLAN WEIKLE
Article published on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007  |
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH – The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the apparent theft of a trailer Aug. 16 from the parking lot of TJ’s Italian Restaurant at 1515 Gulf Blvd.
According to Sheriff’s spokesperson Cecilia Barreda, the incident occurred sometime between 11:30 p.m. Thursday, when the trailer was last seen, and 7:15 the following morning when it was reported missing.
The trailer is described as a heavy, pull-box type, black, with a decal of an eagle on the back and diamond plate covering the base.
Restaurant owner TJ Smith said the trailer, a 16-foot 2005 tow unit, was used for storage of construction materials, hurricane supplies and tools, all worth an estimated $25,000.
“We never had any problems at the restaurant before. We’ve been here 17 years,” he said. “Sheriff’s deputies showed up right away. I gave them a list of people working on the property in the last two months.”
While the PCSO investigates, Smith is left to deal with the insurance nightmare.
“Nobody wants to take responsibility. Now the insurance companies are throwing it around and nobody wants to cover it,” he said. “My wife is just sick about it.”
As hard as the theft is to contemplate, Smith is struggling to understand not only why this happened, but how.
“That trailer weighs 12,000 pounds, you’d need a major truck to pull the thing away,” he said. “I use a Hummer to haul it.”
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Article published on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007
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