DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. -- Deerfield Beach detectives said they believe a well-organized group of burglars is responsible for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cell phones from a Deerfield Beach warehouse.
The burglars broke into Reagan Wireless, at 3390 Southwest 15th St., at about 5 p.m. Sunday, company owner Daniel Kaufman said.
Kaufman said the burglars were quite crafty getting into the warehouse and avoiding security cameras.
He said about $750,000 worth of merchandise was taken.
"I'm absolutely shocked," Kaufman said. "I've got the best security system you can actually purchase. I have digital cameras. I can't do any more to defend myself."
Kaufmann also said he has 24-hour security guards he hired from former Broward County Sheriff Nick Navarro's security company.
But surveillance video shows one of those guards leaving before his shift ended.
Ten minutes later, the alarm went off and the alarm company placed this call to the owner:
"We just sent the Navarro Guard Service over there to check that. They reported everything was fine. The alarm's still going off."
Meanwhile, another security guard showed up for his shift but Kaufman said he wasn't paying attention on the job.
"At that time they're robbing the place with the fork lift and everything, and he's out there washing the car, cleaning the car and sitting there talking on his cell phone," Kaufman said.
Police said the robbers cut a small square out of the warehouse's aluminum wall to get into the building.
Kaufman said the robbers left with 800 boxes of cell phones. He believes they knew exactly where to go and spent plenty of time getting them out.
"When I saw all the palettes missing in that little hole, I knew they had to spend four to six hours here minimum," Kaufman said.
Kaufman said the thieves stole only phones that can be used overseas.
"I think they had information," Kaufman said. "They knew what phones to purchase, what phones to pick."
The Broward Sheriff's Office is investigating the crime.
Kaufman said he's not willing to call the robbery an inside job yet, but he is pointing the finger at the security company.
"I don't know," Nick Navarro, the security company's owner, said. "If I was him, I'd be pointing the finger in every direction so that no one points it back at me. I have no idea why he is doing that."
Navarro said his security guards did nothing wrong.
Kaufman has since fired Navarro's security company and hired another one.
Kaufman is offering a $50,000 reward.
