GPS device little help for stolen Cape Coral boat motor

CAPE CORAL, Fla. A Cape Coral man thought he’d outsmarted thieves when he used a GPS tracker to track down the location of his stolen boat motor.

But neither he nor police have been able to get the $17,000 motor back.

Ben Pearson had his 21-foot Striper at a storage lot for more than a year, but the thieves tore off locks and cut through wires to get to the 200-horsepower Yamaha engine.

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The GPS device sent Pearson alert when the motor was snatched, and he began the chase.

“I figured they were going for the East Coast, so I hopped on the (Alligator) Alley, started going after them.”

He tracked the thieves to a storage unit in Collier County, but the Cape Coral Police Department, which is handling the case, hasn’t been able to get into the building or check surveillance cameras.

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“If it was in there, it’s gone at this point,” Pearson said. “For you to have a lead that good and let that many hours go by without accessing the cameras, I don’t even know what to say about it.”

Police said they’re still working on the case, but Pearson said he’s already planning to buy a new motor.

This time, he’ll install two trackers and buy insurance for it, he said.