In the blink of an eye, a Sacramento County, California landscaper lost his tools and equipment and possibly his livelihood.
Tyrin Foster had stepped away from his work site March 20 just before 6:00 p.m. when he says a thief swooped in and stole his trailer filled with landscaping tools.
“Originally, I was pretty like, just caught off guard. You know, I’ve never really been the victim of any kind of crime…” Foster said. “I was just surprised and then after that just kind of angry – realizing the consequences behind something like this happening.”
Foster is the co-owner of American Landscape Maintenance, based out of North Highlands, California. He said he’s suspicious of whoever took his trailer filled with equipment.
“I think he staked us out because he was pretty quick, efficient. He knew where our lock was on the trailer. So he cut that, took off with it, so I imagine he knew what he was doing,” Foster said.
The house on the 3800 block of Winona Way in North Highlands had surveillance cameras. The footage is not great, but it does show someone in a dark hoodie appear and leave with the trailer.
He said the loss is especially hard because his company, American Landscape Maintenance, does work on about 60 properties a week, and they were just getting on their feet.
“It was a setback considering we’re a start-up company. We’ve only been going for about a year, so when you take a hit like that, that’s your livelihood. That’s everything you’re using to get by,” Foster said.
Foster could have saved himself a lot of heartache and financial trouble had he simply locked or booted the wheels of his utility trailer.
California Immobilizer trailer wheel locks are an inexpensive means of deterring and preventing trailer theft. Our patented trailer wheel locks are quick and easy to install on the wheel of your trailer preventing thieves from quickly hooking up to the hitch and towing the trailer away. The optional included tire spike can be installed to immediately puncture and deflate the tire if the trailer is moved.