PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — You might say it’s hard to find good help these days, but it’s even harder to help if someone steals your equipment.

It happened to one company whose lawn care equipment was stolen in the middle of the day.

Brian Newman, the owner of Newman and Son Land and Lawn, says he was shocked.

“My first reaction was just like ‘man that was quick,’ you know how fast something can change,” he said. “One of my employees approached me and said we had three blowers in the truck and there is only one left,” he said

Immediately Newman had suspicions.

“That’s when I contacted the office, and we checked surveillance footage, and sure enough somebody had driven by and taken the equipment out the bed of the truck,” he explained

You can clearly see a man removing three pieces of equipment before driving off.

“I was kinda shocked, you know, cause you believe that everybody in society is good and that somebody wouldn’t come and take equipment that’s needed to provide food for your table,” Newman said.

And the equipment isn’t cheap.

“It’s roughly like $1,700 for all three pieces,” he said.

Thankfully Newman has insurance, but he says it’s the principle.

“I guess the guy might have needed it more than I did, but at the same time, it kind of frustrates me that he would take my equipment and cause me heartache within the company to keep it successful,” he said.

He has already contacted police and given them the video, but he has some suggestions for the thief.

“He’s more than welcome to set it in front of the building and we can pick it up, but at the end of the day I think he just needs to work harder for his own stuff and not steal from individuals who are working hard for what they have,” he said.

But if nothing else, he wants his community to keep an eye out so this doesn’t happen to them.

Newman says they are changing the way they do things by chaining their equipment up and locking it down when it is left unattended.