A Fort Worth institution hopes someone noticed a peculiar sight on Sunday morning as a brazen day time thief drove off pulling an expensive and highly noticeable go-kart.
A cold, steady rain didn’t slow down spring breakers at the Rockwood Go-Karts track Monday morning. Just like daylight and surveillance cameras didn’t stop someone from breaking in on Sunday.
"At daylight, we usually open around this time," said manager Jose Gonzalez.
The robbery was caught on camera, taking place just 40 minutes before Gonzalez arrived for work. That's when he saw a storage shed wide open and turned to the surveillance system to figure out what happened.
"I happen to see a guy fighting with the doors with a crowbar," he said.
The man arrives by foot around 7:45 a.m. and is seen breaking into at least two storage sheds on the property. The man then tries to pull an 800 pound go-kart out of the last shed he broke into, but couldn't get it all the way out. The man returns around 8:15 a.m. with a truck and is able to yank the kart free. He then ties it to the back of the truck and takes off southbound on University Drive.
"For him to come back, to take off walking and come back within 20 to 30 minutes, he must live around here," Gonzalez said. "Somebody is going to recognize it (the truck), (it) had a logo in the back of it."
The truck is a dark older model single-cab pick-up with a large sticker on the back window and what appears to be a tool chest of some kind in the bed. The stolen go-kart is dark blue and costs around $2,000 retail.
While the thief got away with that go-kart, it's not like he's joy riding around with while on spring break.
"It doesn't work right now," Gonzalez said.
The go-kart belongs to a customer and was in for repairs at Rockwood. The go-kart track is the go-to spot in Fort Worth for parts for such vehicles and Gonzalez wouldn't be surprised if they see it again.
"We'll find it," he said.
In the meantime, they hope someone recognizes the truck and calls police with information.
Rockwood Go-Karts has been along University Drive near Rockwood Park since 1970.
