CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte business had over $25,000 worth of equipment stolen when someone took their entire landscaping truck.
The left happened in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood near Pecan Avenue and Bay Street.
"I'm a small business, this affects my livelihood. It's not like I can just go out and replace everything tomorrow," Spencer Ellington explained.
Ellington discovered his green thumb at a young age.
“I basically started cutting grass when I was a little kid,” he continued.
For the last 10 years, he has run his own landscaping business called Midwood Lawn and Landscape.
“Mostly maintenance, I do installations as well; planting plants, mulch and trimming edges and just beautifying the area for people,” he said. “I built up to be able to have this equipment and that truck.”
After working out an agreement with the business owner. Ellington said he’s parked his truck in the same lot for the last year. On the morning of April 22nd, he found his landscaping truck was gone along with the thousands of dollars worth of equipment inside.
The truck was last in the lot around 4:25 a.m. that morning, he explained. He said the motion detector was not set off at the time of the theft and thus it was not recorded. Video captured around 4:46 shows an empty spot where the truck was parked.
“According to the police report, they saw it take a left at 7th street and that was the last sighting of it,” Ellington said. “I guess they hot-wired it because I have the key.”
Ellington shared this post on Nextdoor asking folks to be on the lookout. Some even responded with offers to let Ellington borrow equipment.
Adrian Gram started a GoFundMe to help Ellington. Cram wants to help Ellington recover his lost property.
“When you look at someone’s livelihood and it can be taken in a flash… you stop and say, 'What would have happened if that was me, a family member, or a friend?'" Gram explained. "You must jump in and help and give people what you can to help them get back on their feet."
Gram added as a fellow business owner himself, he was compelled to take action. He said it is important for the community to support each other, especially in a time of need.
Ellington said he is touched by their generosity and all of the support he’s received.
“It’s nice because I was ready to throw in the towel,” Ellington said. “The first couple of days I was pretty down."
In the meantime, Ellington said he is back to square one: using his pickup truck, cultivating the next lawn and hoping his items are returned.
“I would appreciate having it back... no questions asked and willing to offer a reward to someone who has information pertaining to the matter," he said. "I just would like my stuff back.”
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.