Home robbery forces man to shut down local lawn care business

A Jacksonville businessman is asking for the public’s help finding the person he said stole thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment he uses for his lawn care service.

"It's gut-wrenching," Patrick Brannen said. "You just feel violated. You work hard for what you get and people out there that don't want to work or aren't working just feel like they can come take it from you."

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Brannen gave Action News Jax home surveillance video that shows a women on his property two days in a row.

On Monday evening, a woman in blue-clothes is seen ringing his doorbell, knocking on his door and checking the handle. Less than 24 hours later at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, the same woman is back in red clothes checking his house again.

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A neighbor’s surveillance video catches a white SUV pulling into Brannen’s property, near his shed in the backyard.

Brannen said he came home to find his shed busted open and his lawn care service equipment stolen. It includes more than $2,000 worth of equipment, including line trimmers, edgers and backpack blowers.

“I believe someone was watching me,” Brennan said. “They knew what kind of stuff was in there before they even got there.”

Brannen filed a police report with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Action News Jax reached out to JSO for the robbery case report and is waiting to hear back.

"That business is out of business until I can replace that," Brannen said.  "It's hard enough to start a business now and to keep them going so for now that one is out of business."

Cox Media Group