After thieves stole his work van loaded with $30,000 worth of tools, a Gardena plumber is trying to rebuild his family business.
Robert Powell, who owns K R Plumbing, told KNX News' Margaret Carrero, "We work hard for our money, you know, and I busted my butt for two years to get my business finally to the place where I was making money, you know, and I had money in the bank on a constant basis, and then these guys stole it."
They were able to recover the van, but all the expensive equipment Powell needs to do his job are gone.
"The van I could probably fix to make it work, but... it's pretty beat up, and now I've just got this really bad taste in my mouth that these guys know how to steal that van, and it was so easy," Powell said.
He says the robbers still managed to get into the car in 2.5 minutes despite having a Club on the steering wheel, a half-inch-thin cable that went around the wheel and attached to the steel frame, and all the doors locked.
In the face of difficult times, Powell said he is humbled by the outpouring of support he has received, and thanks to nudging from his daughter, the family has set up a GoFundMe.
Powell intends to be back at work on Monday with whatever tools he can get by then. He says, "My customers mean everything to me, and getting my jobs completed and keeping my customer base happy is important."
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