Thief Caught On Camera Stealing Lawn Equipment From Ochelata Man

An Ochelata man is out thousands of dollars and a job after someone stole his lawn care equipment right out of his front yard.

Jim Childers says a thief came onto his property in the middle of the night and took lawn mowers, weed eaters, everything he uses to run his business.  He says it was all caught on camera.

Video shows a man drive up and start pulling equipment out of Childers’ truck in his driveway.

Childers owns a lawn care business and says the thief stole about $3,000 worth of equipment.

“Very casually took all of my lawn care equipment,” he said.  “They took two push mowers, two weed eaters, and two backpack blowers.”

He says it’s more than just the stolen items – it’s his livelihood.

“This is how we pay our rent, and pay our bills, and eat,” he said.

He says he’s shocked something like this would happen in his typically safe little town.

“There’s times I leave my equipment in my front yard…no one home, nothing has ever come up missing,” Childers said.

He says he’s never seen the man in the video, so he doesn’t think he lives in the area, but he does have a message for him.

“I barely get by doing it, but I work hard,” stated Childers.  “These people need to get a job and work hard too.”

If you would like to help Childers, his family has set up a GoFundMe page.