180 Storage Units Targeted by Thieves

Hillsborough County deputies are on the hunt for two men they say have a penchant for breaking into storage facilities and helping themselves.

The men are wanted in connection with five separate storage facility burglaries in recent weeks. All told, they’ve burglarized more than 180 separate storage units in Northwest Hillsborough County. The string of crimes began on May 29 with the most recent break-in attributed to the pair logged June 15.

Here’s where they’ve struck:

• May 28 - U Store U Lock (30 units), 6207 Hillsborough Ave.
• June 7 – Public Storage (11 units), 6286 W. Waters Ave.
• June 7 – People's Storage (11 units), 5907 W. Linebaugh Ave.
• June 15 – Uncle Bob's (72 units), 8354 W. Hillsborough Ave.
• June 15 – Uncle Bob's (65-75 units), 7550 W. Waters Ave.

Deputies have released a surveillance video that shows the men wanted in the string of burglaries at Uncle Bob’s on Hillsborough Avenue. During that crime, “the suspects seen in the video, pried open 72 storage units with a screwdriver, walked through the units and took very few items,” a sheriff’s office media release said. “The other cases have been similar.”

The suspects are described as:

• A Hispanic male between the age of 18 and 24 with a thin build. He has short, dark hair, and tattoos on his right bicep and tricep. He was last seen wearing black gloves, a Vans T-shirt, a bracelet on his right wrist, grey basketball shorts, black sneakers and covered his face with a white cloth.

• A Hispanic male between the age of 18 and 24. He also has a thin build and short, dark hair. This man was last seen wearing black shorts, black gloves and a black T-shirt. The man covered his face with a white cloth during the burglary.

Recognize these men? If so, call the sheriff’s office at 813-247-8200. You can also submit tips anonymously via Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-873-TIPS (8477), going online at www.crimestopperstb.com or texting "CSTB plus your tip" to C-R-I-M-E-S (274637).