The locked car was in the driveway of his Lexington Oaks home. Officials say more than $3,500 worth of equipment was taken.
By ANNE BROACHE
Published June 25, 2004
WESLEY CHAPEL - A special agent for a bureau of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had more than $3,500 worth of electronics, police gear and ammunition stolen from his car Tuesday night, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office reported.
The agent's 2004 Dodge Intrepid, parked in the driveway at his Lexington Oaks residence, was secure and locked as of about 8 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff's reports stated. By 6 a.m. Wednesday, the agent, whose name and specific address deputies did not release, discovered the car's doors ajar and items missing from inside.
Most of the stolen property was stored in a nylon bag in the agent's trunk, which the thief entered by prying apart the rear seat, reports stated. The goods included computer and surveillance equipment, binoculars, gun magazines, handcuffs, shooting glasses and a ballistic vest.
The agent's federal badge, military dog tags and ID, and blue raid jacket, which identified him as a federal agent, also were stolen, reports stated.
A two-way radio, valued at $300, was removed from the dashboard. The agent told sheriff's deputies that the device had not been programmed, and others could not use it to monitor official agency transmissions.
None of the agent's neighbors reported seeing or hearing anything suspicious, the deputy at the scene reported.
A subsequent check for fingerprints on the vehicle turned up no results, reports said. The thief was thought to have headed south upon leaving the scene.
The investigation continued Thursday.
Early Wednesday the Sheriff's Office issued an alert about the theft to law enforcement agencies in the Tampa Bay area, stretching south to Pinellas County and almost as far north as Orlando.
The alert was standard procedure following incidents that might interfere with law enforcement, sheriff's spokesman Doug Tobin said.
"It lets law enforcement be aware of a situation, especially one like this, with six ammunition magazines fully loaded and ballistic vests," Tobin said.
Thefts of this kind are very unusual, said King Cooper, chief of staff for the southeastern region of the Federal Protective Service, which employs the special agent in this case. The service, which falls under the Homeland Security umbrella, provides security services to all the nation's federal buildings.
Although the thief stole the agent's badge and jacket, masquerading as a federal agent would be difficult to pull off, Cooper said.
"They would draw attention to themselves and definitely be questioned further," he said.
GOT A TIP?
Anyone with information is asked to call the Pasco County Sheriff's Office toll-free at 1-800-854-2862.
