$400,000 worth of goods stolen from boat builder in Manatee. Another business lost a truck

Two businesses in South Manatee County were hit with major burglaries over the Memorial Day weekend, according to Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Luxury boat building company Yellowfin Boats, which has a location at 6570 18th St. E., Sarasota, had been closed since Friday, the sheriff’s office said in a release. When an employee went to check on the business Monday, he found an overhead door open and contacted the owner.

Inside, they found that approximately $400,000 worth of equipment had been stolen. The company’s forklift had apparently been used to remove numerous boat engines from the floor, and cabinets that had contained GPS units and marine electronics were pried open. The boat engines stolen included approximately eight Mercury-brand engines and an unknown number of Yamaha engines.

On Tuesday morning, a 2005 white Isuzu flatbed truck was reported stolen from neighboring business Coating Application Technologies at 1851 67th Ave. E., Sarasota. The truck had last been seen on Saturday around 5:30 p.m.

Detectives are investigating both cases and looking for a link between the crimes, the sheriff’s office said. Anyone who wishes to report information about the incidents can contact the sheriff’s office at 941-747-3011 or report anonymously through Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 866-634-8477.