A man was arrested this week after Fort Myers police say he stole a boat from a boat-storage facility.
According to the Fort Myers Police Department, Silvestre Romeo Romero, 38, was arrested after officers received a call for service for a burglary at the local storage facility. The caller and witness said someone was taking a boat worth $300,000 from the storage lot. The witness also saw a man cut the fence to enter and drive over the fence to leave while stealing a boat with twin outboard motors.
$300,000 boat stolen from Fort Myers storage facility. Credit: Fort Myers Police Department
The caller continued updating officers on where the suspect vehicle fled. Moments later, an officer spotted the vehicle towing the boat traveling toward North Fort Myers.
Romero, the driver of the vehicle, was detained pending the burglary investigation. Once all evidence was gathered and the victims were contacted, he was arrested and transported to the Lee County Jail facing multiple felony charges.
The robbery is a reminder to all storage property owners to make sure they have updated all insurance policies. “Every RV & boat storage facility must develop a Risk Management Assessment and Plan. If not, this high-income asset is at the whelm of every weather-related event and incidences of theft,” explains Terry Anderson, President and CEO of Tenant Property Protection, providers of insurance products and services specific to self-storage, RV and boat storage.
“Owner/operator negligence in preparing for the risk of winds, fires and burglary has led to the rising cost of Property & Casualty insurance rates,” Anderson continues. “A Risk Management Assessment and Plan is a way to save profits and costs when faced with potential losses. Every good general business property and casualty agency in the storage industry should have a resource available to meet this need.”
