Police on Wednesday raided an Arlington home, finding tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of stolen goods and arresting two men accused of grand theft.
Jacksonville Beach police officers, accompanied by Jacksonville sheriff‘s officers, served a search warrant Wednesday morning at a home on Townsend Boulevard in the Colony Cove neighborhood near the river.
Detectives had been searching for three high-end business trailers, which were stolen over the last few weeks from Jacksonville Beach. Investigators said one of them was used for a construction business, and the trailer, combined with all the tools inside of it, was valued at between $40,000 and $50,000. Another was stolen from a painting company, which shared surveillance video with police and the community.
“Literally everything I had for painting is in the trailer,” Donald Lucas, of Fine Finish Painting and Restoration, told News4Jax.
Lucas said he thought he lost it all when his painting company’s trailer was stolen Sunday afternoon from his Jacksonville Beach home.
“I was home at the time. I actually saw the trailer moving and ran out after them,” he said.
On Tuesday, a Jacksonville Beach police officer noticed a black pickup truck matching the description of the suspects. Detectives set up undercover surveillance and tracked the vehicle back to the home on Townsend Boulevard.
About 4 a.m. Wednesday, they obtained a search warrant and started to plan their approach. They moved in on the property shortly after 8 a.m., arresting a man inside the home and another man who lived in a camper in the backyard.
“We had to wake them up. We went in,” said Cmdr. Mark Evans, with the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. “We watched them throughout their movements and we knew, at that point, it was evident that they were basically up to no good.”
The men, who identified as Richard Mark Rose and Timothy Howey, were interviewed by detectives and then taken to the Duval County jail. Detectives said they are looking to see whether anyone else was involved in the operation.
Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said it was a case of great detective work.
Though officers found two of the missing trailers, they were still looking for one more. They also discovered stolen tools and two motorcycles, which were taken from Jacksonville. The motorcycles were returned to their owners, although they were missing several parts.
“It got stolen overnight. Next morning, he walked out to get on his motorcycle and it’s not there,” said a man named Gary, who came to pick up his 21-year-old’s stolen bike. “It’s frustrating for sure, but not surprising because it’s so easy for someone to just yank a motorcycle."
The victims have been contacted, and they will be able to pick up their belongings once they’re processed.
On Thursday, Jacksonville Beach police asked anyone who may have bought or sold tools, painting equipment or other construction equipment from Rose and Howey within the last two weeks to call Detective Kling at 904-233-6686, or email dkling@jaxbchfl.net or tipline@jaxbchfl.net.
Wednesday’s raid was not believed to be related to a raid last week on Jacksonville’s Eastside in connection with a series of trailer thefts.