BOMBINGS IN SOUTHERN LEBANON BY ISRAEL. OPERATION HAMMER TIME. THAT’S WHAT THE MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS CALLING A MULTI-COUNTY RETAIL THEFT RING THAT TARGETED HARDWARE STORES ACROSS AT LEAST 13 FLORIDA COUNTIES. NOW TWO MEN ARE BEHIND BARS. ANGELA ROZIER HAS THE DETAILS FROM INVESTIGATORS. INVESTIGATORS HERE IN MARTIN COUNTY SAY THOSE SUSPECTS GOT AWAY WITH ABOUT A HALF $1 MILLION WORTH OF PROPERTY. AND THEY SAY THIS WAS NOT AN ORDINARY CASE. THIS IS WHAT THE SCENE LOOKED LIKE WHEN MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES ARRIVED AT SCHOOL HARDWARE AND STORES BACK IN DECEMBER 2025. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES THAT, AT FIRST GLANCE, APPEARED TO BE QUITE ROUTINE. AND AS WE PEEL BACK THE LAYERS AND CONTINUE TO PEEL BACK THE LAYERS, WE DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS A LOT MORE THAN JUST A ROUTINE CASE. ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER, FOUR SUSPECTS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF STEALING HIGH END TOOLS AND SMASH-AND-GRAB BURGLARIES ACROSS THE STATE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THEN TAKING THE STOLEN ITEMS TO MIAMI DADE TO SELL THEM. ACT AS A TEAM. ONE WOULD SMASH THE WINDOW. ONE WOULD MAKE ENTRY WITH THE BLACK TOTE THAT THEY TYPICALLY WOULD USE. THEY WOULD GO IN AND THEY WOULD ALL WORK IN CONCERT WITH EACH OTHER, LOADING THESE BOATS UP WITH AS MANY DEWALT AND MILWAUKEE TOOLS AS THEY COULD GET. AND OFTENTIMES THEY’RE IN AND OUT OF THERE LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. THESE ARE THE FOUR SUSPECTS IN THE CASE. TWO ARE IN CUSTODY. ONE IS AT LARGE AND ANOTHER IS DECEASED. INVESTIGATORS WERE ABLE TO TRACK THEM DOWN USING SURVEILLANCE VIDEO. THEY SAY THE SUSPECTS WERE WEARING THE SAME CLOTHES AT EACH BURGLARY, AND THEY WERE ALSO ABLE TO TRACE A VEHICLE SEEN AT THE SCENE TO THE MOTHER OF ONE OF THE SUSPECTS, ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS. RETAIL THEFTS AND SMASH AND GRAB CRIMES PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN RISING PRICES AS RETAILERS RAISE COSTS TO OFFSET LOST INVENTORY. OFFICIALS SAY GETTING THEM OFF THE STREETS HELPS. IT IS A BIG DENT THAT IT PUTS INTO OUR ECONOMY AND LIKE I SAID, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE FOR INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED OVER 40 ESTABLISHMENTS OVER 13 COUNTIES AND BECAUSE OF THEIR HARD WORK, THEY ARE NOW BEHIND BARS. NOW, THOSE SUSPECTS FACE
‘This is a big dent’: Four suspects accused in Florida retail theft ring targeting hardware stores
Updated: 6:43 PM EDT Jun 2, 2026
Investigators with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office say four men are accused of stealing high-end tools worth $500,000 in an organized retail theft ring called Operation Hammer Time that targeted hardware stores across 13 Florida counties. “This is one of those cases that, at first glance, it appeared to be quite routine, and as you peel back the layers and continue to peel back the layers, we discovered it was a lot more than just a routine case,” Maj. Ruben Romero said. Body camera footage shows deputies arriving at Sewell Hardware in Stuart in December 2025, one of the locations targeted in the thefts. “Act as a team, one would smash the window, one would make entry with the black tote that they typically use. They would go in, and they would all work in concert with each other, loading these totes up with as many DeWalt and Milwaukee tools as they can get, and oftentimes they are in and out of there in less than five minutes,” Det. Aaron Chandler said. Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsFour suspects have been identified in the case. Two are in custody, one is at large, and another is deceased. Investigators tracked them down using surveillance video, noting that the suspects wore the same clothes at each burglary. They also traced a vehicle seen at the scene to the mother of one of the suspects. Officials say retail thefts and smash-and-grab crimes play a major role in rising prices as retailers raise costs to offset lost inventory. “This is a big dent that it puts into our economy, and like I said, this is one of those cases where four individuals affected over 40 establishments in 13 counties, and because of the hard work, they’re now behind bars,” Romero said. The suspects are facing several charges, including racketeering.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25
MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. —
Investigators with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office say four men are accused of stealing high-end tools worth $500,000 in an organized retail theft ring called Operation Hammer Time that targeted hardware stores across 13 Florida counties.
“This is one of those cases that, at first glance, it appeared to be quite routine, and as you peel back the layers and continue to peel back the layers, we discovered it was a lot more than just a routine case,” Maj. Ruben Romero said.
Body camera footage shows deputies arriving at Sewell Hardware in Stuart in December 2025, one of the locations targeted in the thefts.
“Act as a team, one would smash the window, one would make entry with the black tote that they typically use. They would go in, and they would all work in concert with each other, loading these totes up with as many DeWalt and Milwaukee tools as they can get, and oftentimes they are in and out of there in less than five minutes,” Det. Aaron Chandler said.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
Four suspects have been identified in the case. Two are in custody, one is at large, and another is deceased. Investigators tracked them down using surveillance video, noting that the suspects wore the same clothes at each burglary. They also traced a vehicle seen at the scene to the mother of one of the suspects.
Officials say retail thefts and smash-and-grab crimes play a major role in rising prices as retailers raise costs to offset lost inventory.
“This is a big dent that it puts into our economy, and like I said, this is one of those cases where four individuals affected over 40 establishments in 13 counties, and because of the hard work, they’re now behind bars,” Romero said.
The suspects are facing several charges, including racketeering.
Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25