An arrest has been made in connection with a series of construction equipment thefts in and around Dania Beach.
On Monday, 26-year-old Dwight Pearson was arrested for his involvement in at least two incidents in which construction equipment worth thousands of dollars were stolen from businesses.
According to a police report, Dania Beach Police received a tip about a white, newer model Ford F150 that had been involved in several burglaries there. The truck had been seen at a home in the 8000 block of Northwest 24th Court in Miami.
Miami-Dade Police responded to that residence and caught Pearson as he tried to get into the truck. A check of the truck's VIN revealed that it was reported stolen during an earlier burglary in a case Fort Lauderdale Police were handling.
Officers got permission from Pearson to search his home, and inside they found numerous construction tools valued anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000.
Pearson told police that he knew the truck was stolen and that he'd gotten it from a friend nicknamed "Black Chico." Pearson also claimed that he didn't participate in the Dania Beach burglaries, but that he was aware that the construction items were stolen.
He told police he generally sells the stolen merchandise to the Opa-locka flea market, according to the police report.
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Pearson was charged with grand theft, burglary and dealing in stolen property. It's not known whether he has hired an attorney.
Last month, deputies said they were looking for two men who reportedly burglarized three Dania Beach businesses.
Around 11 a.m. on March 20, BSO said two men driving a newer model white Ford F-150 truck began their crime spree by stealing a Honda generator with a red frame. The generator, worth approximately $2,200, had been chained to a Jersey Dawg food truck parked at 1920 Tigertail Boulevard in Dania Beach.
Then just before 1 p.m., video from Sirocco Marine, located at 1934 Tigertail Boulevard, shows the white F-150 pulling in. The men can be seen as they loaded two large cardboard boxes onto their truck and then drive off.
The boxes contained two new Honda Engine lower ends, valued at $2,800 each.
Minutes later, BSO said the thieves gained access to a storage container belonging to Ocean Bay Construction at 5380 Southwest 27th Avenue. They stole several items including a Troy-Bilt generator, a 420 Stihl saw, a Wacker Jumping Jack compactor, as well as several other tools.
Ocean Bay Construction's camera captured stills of the two men as they loaded the stolen items onto their truck. The red Honda generator they had allegedly stolen earlier that morning can also be seen in the truck's bed.
"My boss called me last night and said they caught them, that they have some of our equipment and it kind of made me feel like justice was served," said Sierra Evans, who works at the business.
About $30,000 worth of equipment was found. Police said they're still looking for a second suspect.
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