One shotgun and one handgun were stolen at about 2 a.m. July 17 from yachts dry-docked at Galati Yacht Sales.
Manager Chris Galati, who operates the marina at 900 S. Bay Blvd., reported to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office July 18 four vessel burglaries.
Various items, including the firearms, were stolen from three vessels, and a window was shattered on one vessel, said MCSO Sgt. Russell Schnering, who heads the sheriff’s substation in Anna Maria.
The burglarized vessels were in dry dock in a parking lot at the marina, he said.
The MCSO has “a lot of leads to follow” from evidence left at the scene, Schnering added.
“We don’t know yet if it was local thieves or organized crime,” he said, adding he could not comment on whether the thieves came by water or land.
In February, thieves thought to have come by water stole high-end equipment from yachts in Anna Maria and on Longboat Key and law enforcement suspected organized crime.
Global positioning monitors were stolen from two boats, one at Galati’s and one at a nearby dock in the 800 block of South Bay Boulevard, including a $25,000 system taken from Randy Houlas of Anna Maria.
Houlas said July 18 his equipment has not been recovered.
Schnering recommended people with boats keep all valuables out their vessels.
“Anything that can be brought inside, we’d recommend should be,” Schnering said. He also recommended boats be kept in well-lit areas.
Anyone with information on the burglaries is asked to call the MCSO at 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.
Schnering recommended people who see suspicious activity call 911.