ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Deputies are investigating another string of burglaries at newly built homes in St. Augustine, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office said.
The latest burglaries were at the Cypress Bay Townhomes near State Roads 207 and 312, officials said.
They’re the latest in a number of thefts at construction sites in the area. There have been more than three dozen break-ins at vacant homes in the last three months, according to records.
The thieves broke into 16 townhouses in a row, making off with more than $10,000 worth of appliances and air-conditioning units, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A construction manager reported Thursday that he found the front and back doors of a home left open. When he walked inside he saw that 12 stoves were missing as well as four washer and dryer sets and at least four air-conditioning units.
Empty slabs where the air-conditioning units were stolen are visible, as well as one that was almost stolen. It looked as though someone clipped the wires but left the units, authorities said.
Shawn Doyle, a cabinet installer at Cabinet Pro Jacksonville, said someone stole his trailer on nearby Buckley Court, complete with tools. He told News4Jax that he lost about $47,000 worth of equipment.
“These tools are expensive,” Doyle said. “It gets up there.”
Doyle said he knows the thefts are a big problem and thinks they’re probably a group effort.
“They definitely coordinate it,’ Doyle said. “They've got to have a box truck to get all of the stuff out. So it seems like they know somebody on the inside maybe, or they walk around and they are familiar with the work.”
Doyle’s said he’s doing everything he can to make sure it doesn’t happen to a home on which he’s working.
“Hopefully they get caught quickly,” Doyle said.
Detectives said they know that the thefts are a big problem, and they are working to put a stop to them. They wouldn’t go into details because they don't want to tip off the criminals.
News4Jax contacted representatives of D.R. Horton, which is building the subdivision but has not received a response.
Protecting air-conditioning units from thieves
Thieves work hard to steal property, especially at new construction sites, which are mostly unoccupied after working hours.
News4Jax spoke with a Westside company called Property Armor, which sells a cage that can protect an air-conditioning unit.
WATCH: Protecting your property from thieves
Essentially, it's a key-locked steel cage built into the concrete that goes around an air conditioner.
"We have steel running all through it, so even if you started to cut it and make headway, you hit the other steel," Lang Lewis at Property Armor said. "It is very much theft proof. We don't have any problems with these, and we've been doing this for about 14 years."
Lewis said business is picking up because the thefts continue.
Smaller, basic air-condition cages start at about $200 and the heavy-duty models can cost as much as $500.
But, as Lewis explained, that's much cheaper than the cost of a replacement, which could range in the thousands.
Click here to learn more about air-conditioner cages.