Cape Coral, FL - Authorities have arrested three individuals who stand accused of stealing approximately $200,000 worth of appliances from almost 80 rental homes across Southwest Florida.
According to the Cape Coral Police Department, the ongoing crime spree began in March when 17-year-old Woolf Exulus and his associates targeted nearly 80 homes, 13 of which were located in Cape Coral.
Police say the thieves didn't engage in typical break-ins to steal the appliances; instead, they exploited a mobile app known as "Rently" to access the homes.
Investigators discovered that the accused posed as prospective renters and accessed padlock codes for the properties via the "Rently" app.
Cape Coral Public Information Officer Mercedes Phillips tells NBC 2 News, "Through the app (Rently) they pay maybe a couple of dollars per house and they’re able to get the code, go into the house, as if they are looking to rent it… but instead, they stole appliances."
The stolen items, predominantly refrigerators and microwaves, were estimated to be worth $200,000.
The group reportedly resold the appliances on social media platforms.
Phillips noted, "The Facebook and Craigslist accounts were all through Woolf who we arrested."
On March 30th, Exulus and two accomplices were arrested for burglary in Punta Gorda.
Law enforcement from Punta Gorda and Cape Coral collaborated to link the trio to numerous crimes.
Due to the significant number of burglaries, the State's Attorney's Office is pursuing adult charges against Exulus.