A man who stole some $65,000 worth of dental equipment from two Brooklyn dental offices late last month is wanted by law enforcement.
According to a July 8 NY Post article, the thief stole enough equipment to be able to create his own dental practice, including two whitening lasers, a root-canal locator, two digital X-ray sensors, three polishing kits and a large number of tooth scrapers used for plaque removal.
The New York Police Department said that on June 21, the thief broke into a dentist’s office on Glenwood Road, stealing $58,600 in dental equipment. Two days later, he broke into a Kings Highway dentist’s office and made off with a laptop and $160 in cash, the NY Post reported.
Based on video surveillance of the two thefts, police also describe the suspect as a “black male with a goatee and long braids in a pony tail,” according to the NY Post.
Much of the equipment stolen is necessary for dentists and dental hygienists to perform patient check-ups and procedures like filling cavities — which 92% of Americans have had at some point.
At the time of the NY Post article’s publication, police were still looking for the thief, who was wearing a white graphic T-shirt, gray shorts and black shoes during the second theft.
As to why the man made off with the dental equipment — no one knows the exact answer yet.
“We don’t know if this guy means to pawn this equipment or what,” a police source told the NY Post.