Raleigh business owner frustrated after more than $10,000 worth of tools and equipment stolen during holiday weekend

A Raleigh business owner said thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment were stolen from his business over the Christmas holiday weekend.

Several other nearby business owners said they’ve been targeted, too.

Seeing a van door cracked open was the first indicator that something was wrong.

And sure enough, the vans parked on Atlantic Avenue in front of C.A.R.E. Services had been emptied.

“Just frustrating,” said C.A.R.E. Services owner Adam Rosenzweig.

The owner's disgust comes from seeing $10,000 worth of equipment taken during the season of giving.

"Why from a small business?" Rosenzweig said. "It's not like we're rolling in money here. We're all just trying to provide for our families and you're hitting the little guy."

Rosenzweig has owned C.A.R.E. Services, a home restoration business in Raleigh, for seven years.

Rosenzweig said he realized shortly after the holiday that mold mitigation equipment, carpet cleaning wands and other items were taken. The equipment was insured so he will get reimbursed for company equipment. However, many of his employees did have their personal tools in the vans.

"I don’t really see the use of what they stole," Rosenzweig said. "They can't make a ton of money on it. They can't resell it so they’ll probably throw it away so that’s annoying."

Surveillance video showed the thief and a driver showed up multiple times over the holiday weekend to ransack the vans. Rosenzweig said the vans were likely left unlocked.

"We had to stop locking it because it cost tens of thousands of dollars when they broke into it last time," Rosenzweig said.

Employees at neighboring businesses said they’ve also had items stolen from the parking lot in recent months. Jose Gonzalez said someone took a $9,000 trailer that he uses to make deliveries.

"Somebody stole my trailer, my brand new trailer," Gonzalez said.

Rosenzweig has been getting calls since the incident from other businesses that have been robbed, and suspects it’s the same criminals.

Now Rosenzweig says he’s locking his trucks and beefing up security.

He hopes the new year will bring better luck.

"2024 is just around the corner it can only get better," Rosenzweig said.

WRAL News reached out to Raleigh police, who said the incident is currently under investigation and that there are no updates on the case at this time.