Off-road vehicle stolen from dealer

An off-road vehicle was stolen from Polaris of Gainesville last week, Alachua police say.  The dealer, which specializes in motorcycles, recreational and all-terrain vehicles, is located in Alachua at 12556 NW U.S. Highway 441.

The burglary reportedly occurred around 5 a.m. on Thursday, August 11, but not reported to police until 11 a.m.

Alachua Police Department (APD) Spokesman Jesse Sandusky said a Polaris Razor off-road vehicle was stolen in addition to a homemade trailer.

The Razor is valued at some $15,000 and is one of only five of its kind in Florida, according to the dealership.  It’s described as an army tan special edition model with an army start printed on the hood.

Police say the vehicle and trailer were taken through a large hole cut out of the chain link fence surrounding the dealership.  Burglary tools were also found at the scene, according to reports.

“Thefts of large equipment are not something we frequently see,” Sandusky said.  “We’ve had maybe four or five over the last year.”

He said business and individuals can protect against burglaries and thefts using an alarm system that alerts police and installing video cameras.

APD does not currently have any suspects in the Polaris burglary, but Sandusky is encouraging anyone with information related to the theft to contact 386-462-1396 or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 352-372-7867.