Cheektowaga man urges neighbors to secure garages after broad daylight theft

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A Cheektowaga man is urging neighbors to be extra cautious and lock their garage doors tightly after an alleged thief stole hundreds of dollars worth of lawn equipment from his family’s garage.

Dave Shovelman, 20, said despite having cameras and locks, a man walked into his family’s garage in broad daylight and stole his equipment, ultimately taking away his ability to continue providing lawn services for elderly residents in the community.

"I can't stress the feeling enough to how much I felt like my privacy was invaded," Shovelman said.

The alleged theft occurred on Nokomis Parkway on the morning of July 17, when a man, who was captured on security video, entered the garage and took nearly $1,000 worth of lawn equipment.

"He took my leaf blower and my mower and my weed whacker. I saw the guy," Shovelman said. "I said, ‘What are you doing on my property?’ And then I see that he has my leaf blower and I'm like, ‘What are you doing?’ And then he just runs off."

According to Shovelman, this was not the first time the same individual targeted his garage. He said police have been alerted and are working to find and identify the suspect.

"He came by in a stolen pickup truck," he said. "I could not find the license plate and then he came by on a bicycle."

Shovelman has been running his own landscaping business, Dave’s Landscaping and Snow Removal, in the Cheektowaga area for the past three years. Much of his work involves helping elderly residents, often cutting their lawns for free. The recent theft has now impacted his ability to provide those services.

"I love helping people, especially elderly people," he said. "I've had a lot of elderly customers. A few of them have passed away and, you know, it's quite sad because they become like family of yours. I'm just trying to recover so I can mow lawns again."

Shovelman believes the theft is part of a larger pattern affecting the neighborhood. He said the suspect seen in the videos has also targeted other homes on Ravenswood Terrace, Toelsin Road and Nokomis Parkway.

"He stole from many other people. He drove off with someone else's riding mower, which was absolutely crazy," Shovelman said. "Another sad thing is he stole an e-bike from a 12-year-old out of their garage."

Cheektowaga police said this month, there have been reports of an ATV, two lawn mowers and a leaf blower stolen from the northern portion of Cheektowaga. They are investigating to see if the thefts are related to each other.

Meanwhile, Shovelman started a GoFundMe to help replace his stolen equipment.