A masked man in gloves walked onto a dock behind a Southeast 4th Street townhome complex in Pompano Beach over the weekend, and by the time he left, two 12-inch Garmin screens worth thousands of dollars were gone. It was the second time in weeks that someone had stripped expensive electronics off a boat in the same stretch of the city, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office is now investigating both thefts.
The earlier theft hit Jon Martin’s boat, which was docked outside his home on Southeast 2nd Street. According to CBS News, thieves cut every wire and stripped his navigation equipment and sound system, taking speakers, amplifiers, and Garmin screens that Martin says caused $45,000 worth of damage. Surveillance cameras at his home caught a man walking toward the boat before the incident, and the audio on that footage recorded a sound resembling a cordless drill unbolting equipment piece by piece.
A Masked Figure and a Branded Calling Card
Martin told the station that whoever took his gear knew exactly what they were looking for and where to find it, and said the thief was getting the equipment for half its price. Adding an odd twist to the case, a Dark Tide logo is embedded directly into the screen that was taken from his boat, a detail that stuck with him as he tallies the damage.
The most recent theft, targeting the boat behind the Southeast 4th Street townhomes, followed a similar pattern. Surveillance footage showed a masked individual wearing gloves walking along the dock before making off with the two 12-inch Garmin screens, according to the same report…