North Fort Myers family searching for answers after trailer theft

A North Fort Myers family is reeling after their trailer, vital for starting a new business, was stolen from a friend's home on Friday. Surveillance video shows the moment a man hitched the trailer to the back of a white pickup truck and drove off within minutes. Tomas Perez, the trailer's owner, believes the thief had been watching the property while the family was out of town. "The neighbors said they’ve seen this car driving around before. The truck pulled up to the home to see if anyone was home," Perez said. Perez, a mechanic who repairs diesel cars, had saved for months to purchase the trailer to launch his own business. His daughter, Sofia Perez, described the emotional impact of the theft. "We came here, it was stress, it was anger, a whole combination of things. He was stressing out to the max, even though I know my dad and he’s a very chill person, and he was not OK," she said. The trailer was being stored at the home of Perez’s friend and coworker, Pablo Narvaez, who also relied on it for work. Narvaez said the theft has left him worried about how he will provide for his family. "I don’t feel good right now after what happened; the little that I have saved trying to support my family can’t help this," Narvaez said. Perez has filed a report with the Lee County Sheriff's Office and is waiting for a detective to investigate the case further. The family said they hope sharing their story will not only help recover the trailer, it will also prevent others from experiencing a similar situation. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV