SALISBURY — What started as a stop to have dinner and a drink at a local restaurant cost a carpenter his livelihood this weekend after a brazen robbery in the restaurant's parking lot.
Jef Tormey, a 15-year veteran carpenter from West Newton, was in the area to help his brother do some work on his Newburyport home and dropped into La Chiquita Restaurant on Lafayette Road late Saturday afternoon.
When he came out that night, four expensive pieces of equipment needed to practice his trade were gone. Thieves had entered the vehicle and stolen a 10-inch rigid portable table saw, a Track 2 table saw, a 71รขÑ2-inch Hitachi slide saw and a Dewalt cordless drill, complete with battery recharger. Tormey said he'd even backed up the white Subaru hatchback to the front of the restaurant's entrance to prevent such an incident.
"There's no way this equipment was stolen without people noticing," Tormey said. "It was a busy Saturday night, with people constantly coming in and out of the restaurant. And it was right in front of the front door, where people come out to smoke. Plus, this equipment is heavy; it wouldn't be easy to move. Someone had to see something."
The tools' worth is about $2,000, but worse still is that without the equipment he will have a hard time earning a living as a self-employed carpenter, Tormey said.
"This is the only work I can find right now," Tormey said. "Without this equipment, it's really going to limit the work I can do."
Salisbury police Chief David L'Espearance said he'll work with Tormey and assign a detective to the case.
"I don't blame him for being upset," L'Esperance said yesterday. "They're stealing everything. On Sunday, someone cut the meter head right off the post (on Broadway)."
Tormey is offering $200 to anyone who comes forward with information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the person who stole the equipment.
Tormey said the Subaru — which belongs to his brother — had a problem with its locks, so he didn't take a chance locking the doors. He figured it would be safe if he backed the vehicle right up to the front door, in plain sight.
After a bite to eat and a couple of beers, Tormey left around 10 p.m., and his tools was gone. Astonished, he told the restaurant's owners what happened.
"I told them they needed to know about this because it happened right in front of their front door," Tormey said. "They called the police, and we reported it right then."
Tormey is asking those who patronized La Chiquita's on Saturday night to think about what they saw. Perhaps they may not have realized they witnessed equipment being stolen from a vehicle and put into another.
Those with information should contact Salisbury police with the information at 978-465-3121.
Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate
US Airmen's Killer Sentenced to Life in Germany
Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords
Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria
Romney Slams President Obama at CPAC
Gingrich: Pres. Obama 'waging War on Religion'
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama
Denver's Largest-Ever Drug Bust Nets Dozens
Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag
Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs
Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames
LA School Reopens Amid Sex Abuse Scandal
$25B Settlement Reached Over Foreclosure Abuses
Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
