Police search for podiatry equipment thief

MIAMI (WSVN) -- Police are searching for the man who stole a quarter of a million dollars worth of medical equipment from a South Florida podiatry center.

Dr. Gary Small is a podiatry doctor but said the man who drilled off the lock to get into his Coral Gables office took off with $250,000 worth of equipment.

Surveillance video captured the man entering the podiatry office last Sunday night, rolling out the equipment one by one. "It seems like he knew our office very well. It seemed like he knew every room to go to," said Small. "It seems like he knew where all the expensive equipment was without even pausing or even look around."

Small said among the equipment stolen were three lasers to treat nail fungi. "He came in, took each one of our laser equipments. We have three laser machines for toenail fungi," said Small. "That's the newest technology, so people don't have to take the pill and have to worry about their liver."

Small also has police experience. "I'm a doctor, but I'm also a Miami-Dade police officer reserve. He knew what he wanted. He must have been either an inside job. He could have been a previous patient that knew exactly where to go," he said. "We had some construction going on, we've had some workers here."

Without his equipment, Small said his business is effectively shut down. "We've been working for 18 years, working 12 hour days, sometimes, and just to take that away for no reason to just make a few dollars on Craigslist or eBay, wherever he's going to dump it or use it, it's pretty frustrating," he said.

"We've set the alarm for years, and this is the only time where, Saturday night, the alarm, one of the gentlemen set it, but we never had a setting according to the alarm company," said Small.

Small was able to borrow some equipment from other doctors from Tampa and around South Florida to keep his business open.

If you have any information the stolen podiatry equipment, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.

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