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Joe Capo watched as a thief stole his SUV and boat trailer. That was just the start of his problems.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — He was on his way home from a day of fishing when he became a victim.
Joe Capo of St. Augustine had his vehicle and his boat trailer stolen right in front of him. But that crime was not his only loss.
Being the victim of a crime can be a traumatic situation, but Capo found out the hard way that the cost of a crime can go beyond the act of the theft.
“I make it to my boat and there’s a little red flash go by,” said Capo, “he ran out from the east side, ran across and jumped in my truck and I’m like, this isn’t happening to me.”
Around 8:30pm on January 3rd Capo’s Ford Explorer and boat trailer were stolen from the Vilano Boat Ramp as he brought his boat in from a day of fishing.
“He was going so fast when he came to the stop sign at May Street he slid across the highway and people were locking up trying to miss him,” said Capo.
The next day his boat trailer was found abandoned in an apartment complex in St. Augustine and his SUV was found abandoned on I-95 near Daytona. But that’s when bills started piling up. His SUV now has flat tires and a blown transmission.
“Right there, that’s another couple thousand dollars to get that fixed,” said Capo.
What’s more, each piece of stolen property was kept as evidence before he could pick them up from different impound lots. Including gas, a U-Haul to bring back the SUV and impound fees, Capo spent more than $1,000 just to get back his stolen property.
“That just seems a little extreme for someone who had their vehicle or something stolen from them,” said Capo, “I feel like I got robbed twice.”
According to a victim’s rights guide that police gave Capo when he reported the theft, victims have the right to fully and timely restitution from each convicted offender for all losses because of criminal conduct. The problem is that the thief has not yet been caught.
“I’m supposed to be the victim,” said Capo, “and now I’m paying to get my stuff back and I just felt that was wrong.”
The impound lot in Daytona said that they put a five day hold on Capo’s vehicle while it was processed by police.
Capo said that he’s grateful to the officers who found his stolen property, but added that he had to borrow money from a friend to pay for the impound fees just to get back his stolen property.
Below are some links to victim advocacy groups including the statewide Bureau of Victim Compensation, which is run by the Florida Attorney General.
Bureau of Victim Compensation: www.myfloridalegal.com/victim-compensation
Jacksonville Victim Services: www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/social-services/victim-services
Justice Coalition (victims of violent crime): justicecoalition.org/what-we-do/
St. Johns County victim resources: www.sjso.org/resources/victims-advocacy/
