Burglary, Community, Crime, Neighbors, Oakland Park

Two Small Businesses in Oakland Park Right a Wrong After a Burglary

The City of Oakland Park has so much to offer, but it’s the overwhelming sense of community support that really marks Oakland Park as a special place. We’ve seen many examples of the people and businesses of Oakland Park coming together to support each other and it’s this sense of community that makes our city feel like family. This sense of family was evident in the aftermath of a burglary that took place in late June at For Brakes and More, an automotive shop located on Prospect and NE 1st Terrace.

The Burglary

For Brakes and More has been a reliable business in Oakland Park for many years and has always enjoyed being able to serve the community. On Wednesday, June 23rd an unidentified man stopped at For Brakes and More inquiring about services. Suddenly the man was gone. At that point, one of the shop’s mechanics realized the man had stolen some tools and fled down the road.

Fencing the Stolen Tools

The unidentified man later showed up at Big Boy Rides, a diesel and lifted truck specialty shop located at NW 43rd St and Andrews Ave. There he met Oscar who works as a mechanic. Oscar remembers the man describing how he had lost his job. The man went on to explain how he wished to sell some of his tools since he was not working and needed the money. Oscar, wanting to help out a fellow mechanic, offered to buy one of the power tools.

It wasn’t until after this transaction that Oscar and the other members of Big Boy Rides heard about the burglary down the road. Immediately they wondered if the unexpected tool sale was related.

Connecting the Dots

The manager at Big Boy Rides, Oakland Park resident Paul Guitierrez, reached out to For Brakes and More to learn more about what had happened. It was soon discovered that the powertool in question was indeed part of what had been stolen earlier that day. Without hesitation these two shops forged ahead together to make things right!

Making Things Right

Oscar was happy to return the power tool back to the business. Additionally, John, who owns Big Boy Rides, was concerned that Oscar had lost the money paid to the unidentified man who sold him the stolen tool. John and Paul, like many Oakland Park business owners and managers, make a point to take care of their employees and customers. In keeping with their strong sense of integrity, John and Paul reimbursed Oscar the money he had lost on the tool sale.

In the end, despite the circumstances that brought these businesses together, it was evident, that the community spirit that makes Oakland Park is what prevailed.

Finding the Perp

The teams at both For Brakes and More and Big Boy Rides are working with police to gather more information on this robbery case. The man who sold the stolen tools was captured on Big Boy Rides’ surveillance cameras. If you recognize him or have information about the robbery, please contact the Broward Sheriff’s Department.

Guest Contributor

This story was made possible with the help of guest contributor Nikki Gutierrez.

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Desiree Avila

EDITOR, PUBLISHER, WRITER, PHOTOGRAPHER, REALTOR®

Désirée Ávila has called Oakland Park her home for over 33 years. In addition to publishing LivingInOaklandPark.com, Désirée has been featured in print publications, locally and abroad. Désirée was an award winning teacher for 10 years and has a doctoral level education in Educational Technology. She is currently a licensed Florida Realtor® and is committed to a high-level of professionalism.

Désirée consistently professionally develops herself and has earned several different professional designations and certifications in real estate including the PSA, e-Pro, AHWD, SRS, ABR, and SFR. She was also awarded the C2EX, Commitment to Excellence award by the National Association for Realtors (NAR). This award is given to Realtors® that distinguish themselves for their commitment to excellence in the real estate industry.

She is esteemed by her real estate colleagues and has consistently received 5 star reviews from her clients. Her philosophy about real estate is that being a Realtor® is a way of teaching and helping people, and in the process a real estate transaction may occur, that is to say her foremost priority is and has always been about helping others.

She is dedicated to her hometown of Oakland Park and works consistently on building and fostering a strong community. She is passionate about photography and loves to read books about history ; the more detail the better! In addition to English, Désirée is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian.

Check out her real estate websites:
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