Thieves steal GPS systems from boats during Elsa chaos

SOUTHWEST Fla.– As Tropical Storm Elsa barreled towards Southwest Florida, thieves were on the prowl stealing 25 Garmin GPS systems from boats at the Viage Group Marina on Monday night. 

Deputies say when the workers arrived to work on Tuesday morning, they saw some of the boats were not secured. They realized 25 boats were vandalized. 

Deputies say out of the approximately 55 boats on the property, 25 were vandalized only the boats with Garmin equipment. Deputy boats with other GPS brands were left untouched 

Jeffery Martinez-Malo’s boat was hit. He says the thieves stole navigation equipment, chart plotter, and their fish finder. 

“They used a crowbar to just crack off our facials and did considerable damage to the boat. They damaged, our brain that kind of manages all the communication of the system,” Martinez-Malo said. 

Martinez-Malo says his loss will be close to $20,000. 

The boat owners want to hold these thieves accountable. 

“We intend to prosecute whoever it is to the maximum extent of the law,” Martinez-Malo said. 

Collier County Deputies are encouraging all boat owners to log the property on your boat that you can’t take home with you. 

“Photograph and identity all items of value on your boat. If we don’t have your serial number we can never link that GPS Unit back to you,” Sgt. Brian Sawyer said.

Here are some more tips for keeping your boat safe –

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