A Fort Lauderdale demolition company is dealing with a major setback after a piece of expensive construction equipment was stolen from a job site in Miami earlier this week.
Tony Stern, owner of Riteway Demolition, said the incident took place over the weekend following the completion of a demolition project near Northwest 20th Street and 3rd Avenue. The team had just finished tearing down a set of apartment buildings and left their heavy machinery secured on-site. But when they returned on Monday morning to retrieve it, one of their most crucial machines—a TL6R Track Loader—was missing.
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“It was frustrating, we work very hard, we didn't come from a family of money, we busted our butts to get to where we are and to have somebody steal from us it hurts,” Stern said, visibly shaken by the loss.
The stolen loader is valued at around $50,000, though Stern said he had invested significantly more into the equipment, bringing the total worth closer to $70,000 due to upgrades and repairs. The theft not only represents a financial blow but also disrupts ongoing work schedules, creating additional costs and delays.
“I have jobs I need it on right now,” Stern said. “It always hurts because I paid for that machine, I put an engine for that machine, so that machine is $70,000, and we need it on this job, and if I don't have it on this job, I'm going to have to rent one.”
Stern’s daughter, Brittany, filed a police report and began circulating images online in hopes of recovering the equipment. The Miami Police Department provided surveillance screenshots showing a white pickup truck towing the loader away. Unfortunately, the family's efforts to use social media to crowdsource help quickly attracted the attention of scammers.
“Somebody tried to scam us and said they had our machine in Lakeland and they wanted money and they were going to drop the machine off somewhere,” Stern said, explaining how the scammer tried to exploit their desperation by demanding a payment for the loader’s supposed return.
Now, the Sterns are left without their essential equipment, unsure whether they will ever see it again. The family-owned business, built from the ground up without outside financial backing, is urging the public to stay vigilant and report any sightings of the stolen loader.
The incident sheds light on a growing problem in the construction industry—rising theft of high-value equipment, often left on remote or unsecured job sites. Without strong leads, recovering such machines can be a challenge for law enforcement.
Still, Tony Stern is holding out hope that someone will come forward with information. “We just want our equipment back. We’re not a huge company, we’re just trying to do honest work and make a living,” he said.
The Sterns say they won't let this setback slow them down, but they do want their machine back.
“It hurts the company, it pays our bills, it pays other families, and it keeps food in people’s mouths,” Stern said. “If you have our machine, drop it off somewhere and notify the cops, no questions asked.”
Stern says they've moved on to another job site in Broward County, and they could really use their missing machine. In the meantime, they're going to take extra precautions moving forward.
Miami Police are investigating.
Originally reported by Niko Clemmens in NBC Miami.
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