LAUDERHILL, Fla. — A 38-year-old Lauderhill man has been arrested after a months-long investigation into repeated thefts and vandalism targeting coin-operated vacuum machines across Broward County.
According to Lauderhill Police, the investigation began on February 25, when the owner of Commercial Pay Vacuums reported ongoing vandalism and coin theft at several of his self-serve vacuum stations. The victim told police he had installed hunting cameras at multiple locations to catch the suspect in the act.
Surveillance footage revealed the same individual repeatedly tampering with the machines at different locations, including a Shell gas station at 890 West Commercial Boulevard. The man was later identified as Omar Rodriguez, 38.
Initially, law enforcement struggled to identify the suspect due to a lack of active surveillance and infrequent machine checks. However, by March 14, police were able to positively identify Rodriguez as the individual seen in the footage.
In one key video, Rodriguez is seen leaning out of a gray vehicle, apparently using a hose to extract coins from a vacuum machine. That vehicle was later traced back to Rodriguez’s girlfriend, whose car he reportedly used often.
Rodriguez was arrested on March 18 and, during an interview with investigators, allegedly admitted to attempting to steal coins from several machines.
He was booked into the Broward County Main Jail and faces multiple charges related to theft and property damage.
