A garage sale went wrong when strangers went into a woman’s unlocked home and took items that weren’t intended to be for grabs.
Cindy Mucciaccio was holding a garage sale at her home in Deerfield Beach for the things she didn’t need anymore, as her rescue animals were moving out of the house they live in.
She planned to end the sale at 1 p.m., with items left over being free of charge after 2 p.m., according to a post made to social media by a friend on her behalf.
The social media post reads, in part:
“The home is filled with goodies for free. This is a house filled with items.”
A little after 3 p.m., both she and her house painter left the home.
“I said, ‘I’m leaving.’ He doesn’t speak English,” said Mucciaccio. “I said ‘Don’t let anybody in the house,’ and he says, ‘OK, OK.’”
Mucciaccio said she left the house door unlocked so the house painter can get back in, under the impression that the garage sale was over.
Around 4:30 p.m., when she wasn’t home, she said a group of three adults and three children came to the house, and took countless bags of items, telling the house painter they were from a church.
Surveillance cameras captured one man rolling her grill away from the backyard.
“They took so many gift cards, New York Prime, you know, Cosmos, a lot of gift cards from my events, my dog events,” said Mucciaccio. “They went upstairs and took all my fancy dresses, they took jugs of coins that I’ve been saving for 20 years,”
She said they also took expensive gift baskets that she auctions off at rescue fundraiser events.
The unwelcome visitors went upstairs into bedrooms and bathrooms where she said the doors had been closed, even inexplicably taking medications she needs for the dogs.
“We’re talking Carprofen, Gabapentin, you know, all kinds of medication,” said Mucciaccio. “We’re talking boxes of medication.”
The dogs under her care have laundry lists of medical challenges.
“Little Penelope, she needs her nose made larger so that she can breathe. Minnie Mouse was born with no arms. She does have a wheelchair, she doesn’t like it that much.” said Mucciaccio. “So, then, I have Foxy. She already had three surgeries on one leg, she has to do the other leg. What’s going on with her, Tiny Tim was born with Hydro so his head is not fully opened, and his back has a very high arch on it.”
She believes all of this is likely a big misunderstanding, and the people probably had no idea that what they took was not up for grabs.
“When they came here they said they were from the church, so I’m hoping that they are from a church and maybe they were feeling to give stuff to the people at the church, which is fine,” said Mucciaccio.
But she is hoping they’ll now realize their mistake.
“My plea is to bring my dog’s medications back, just bring everything from upstairs that you took, everything from upstairs. I am not, I will not be prosecuting anything, I totally understand the miscommunication and all I want is just my things back, that’s it,” said Mucciaccio.
Broward Sherriff’s Office informed 7News that BSO Deerfield Beach deputies were contacted regarding this incident and are actively investigating.
If you think you know who is in this video, or if it is you in the video and you would like to see the items returned, or donate to replace some of the dog rescue-related items, please contact Cindy Mucciaccio of “I Heart” Animal Rescue at 954-709-7997.