Oakland Park Man's Race Car Dreams Dashed After Parts Trailer Stolen

OAKLAND PARK (CBS4) - A race car collection accumulated over a lifetime by an Oakland Park man took just seconds to disappear thanks to two thieves, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

On  Thursday, BSO detectives released surveillance video they believe will help lead them to the crooks who stole a trailer containing various racing car parts on May 19.

The victim, Barret Hendricks, built his collection over several years, hoping to one day open a race car business. Hendricks is currently pursuing a master's degree in mechanical engineering and was collecting parts to one day build a a Formula Vee race car.

Hendricks believes the crooks sold the metal parts for scrap.

"By stealing my trailer these guys haven't nearly gained as much as I lost," said Hendricks. "It's the way I was gonna start my new business and without them, obviously, my dreams are crushed."

The video depicts two suspects, believed to be Hispanic, inside a late model Ford Econoline , hauling the stolen V-Nose trailer. The cargo van was travelling down the 4700 block of Northwest 8 Terrace at around 9:30 a.m. Some distinctive features on the van include a glass window on the passenger-side sliding door, steel wheels, black rear and front bumpers and a black grill. It has a Sunpass on the windshield and a white Apple sticker on the driver's side mirror.

The stolen trailer is described as a 2011 tan-colored 7 x 14, double-axle, V-Nose trailer with a side door, ramp rear door and silver wheels. The parts inside are valued at around $12,000.

"They were worth a lot more to me because they're irreplaceable. They mean everything," said Hendricks.

Anyone with information on the suspect's van, the stolen trailer or the suspects is asked to contact BSO Detective Armando Hernandez at 954-202-3121 or Broward Crime Stoppers, anonymously, at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or www.browardcrimestoppers.org.