Hunting Cameras Used to Catch Coin Bandit After Months of Gas Station Thefts

by Ryan Yousefi June 22, 2025

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Hunting Cameras Used to Catch Coin Bandit After Months of Gas Station Thefts 5

Omar Rodriguez {BSO}

A Lauderhill man has been arrested in connection with a months-long string of thefts and vandalism targeting pay-to-use vacuum machines across the county.

According to Lauderhill Police Department records, the investigation began on February 25, after the owner of Commercial Pay Vacuums, who operates most of the self-serve vacuums in Broward, reported a pattern of vandalism and theft at several of his machines.

The victim told officers that, in response to the constant thefts, he had installed hunting cameras at the affected locations to identify the suspect. The footage revealed the same man, later identified as Omar Rodriguez, 38, repeatedly targeting different sites, including a Shell gas station located at 890 West Commercial Boulevard.

The victim stated that, due to a lack of active surveillance at the time of reporting and the machines being checked only once a week, law enforcement initially could not identify the suspect. However, that changed on March 14, when investigators informed him that he had identified Rodriguez.

Surveillance footage from a second incident at the same Shell station showed Rodriguez leaning out of a gray car using a hose in an apparent attempt to extract coins from a vacuum machine. Further investigation linked the vehicle to Rodriguez’s girlfriend, whose car he is known to drive.

On March 18, Rodriguez was taken into custody and interviewed. Records show he allegedly admitted to attempting to steal coins from vacuum machines.

Rodriguez was arrested and transported to the Broward County Main Jail.

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Ryan Yousefi

Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.