Snowblower burglar caught on tape – Keep Me Current: News
RAYMOND – in the more than 20 years that Downeast Sharpening hasdone business at the corner of Main Street and Route 302 inRaymond, owner Glen Gisel has never had anyone steal a piece ofequipment from his shop.
That was the case until Wednesday, Dec. 21, when the streak of goodfortune came to an end. However, the historic moment was caught ontape, and the shop owner is looking for the public’s help insolving the crime.
At around 4 p.m. that day – about five minutes after Gisel leftwith his wife to do some Christmas food shopping at the Hannafordin North Windham -someone stole a top-of-the-line Craftsman 1333snowblower, measuring 33 inches wide and valued at about $2,000,one of many snowblowers located outside the shop, Gisel said, thathad just been repaired and were ready for customer pickup.
Thanks to a camera surveillance system that overlooks the frontdriveway, Gisel was able to get a visual recording of the robber’svehicle, a white Ford SuperDuty extended cab pickup truck thatentered his property, hoisted the snowblower onto the truck bed anddrove off. Unfortunately, the camera’s resolution wasn’t highenough to make out the license plate, so Gisel is reaching out tothe public for help identifying the burglar.
“It was a nice truck with chrome wheels and tubular steps so Idon’t know why they would stoop so low as to steal a snowblower,”Gisel said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Gisel believes the burglar may have been observing the businessprior to the burglary waiting for Gisel to leave.
“We left at five (minutes) of 4 p.m., and the camera records thetruck at 4 p.m., so it’s like they were waiting,” Gisel said.
Gisel initially reported the incident to Cumberland CountySheriff’s Office as a case of someone avoiding payment for repairsamounting to $152. when he contacted the snowblower’s owner, no oneanswered and calls from the sheriff‘s deputy investigating the casewent unanswered as well. However, last weekend, the snowblower’sowner returned from vacation and returned the messages denying anyinvolvement in the matter, even showing Gisel a receipt proving hehad been out of town on the day the piece of equipment was stolen.it was at that point Gisel checked his video recording from the dayand saw the truck.
The burglary of Downeast Sharpening is the latest of severalburglaries in Raymond last month. The owner of Cricket’s Corner onRoute 302 reported $150 worth of Christmas lights, extension cordsand all, swiped during daylight hours on a busy Saturday, Dec. 10.And in mid-December, the Sheriff’s Department reported a string ofa dozen burglaries at seasonal homes along Indian Point Road offRoute 302 beside Panther Run.
Thankful that he installed the surveillance camera and hopeful hisinsurance company will cover the stolen property, Gisel isnonetheless left stunned.
“Not sure what’s going on but we’ve started having a ration ofburglaries lately here in Raymond,” he said.
