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A Kansas City, Mo., HVAC tech said there was nothing he could do but watch helplessly as a trio of thieves made off with his tools, and therefore his entire livelihood, during a brazen daylight heist, according to a report from Fox 4.

Anthony Pieri, an a/c repair technician with Nextech in Lenexa, KS, said as was working on an RTU at a Dollar Tree, the criminals kicked over his ladder, leaving him stuck on the roof with no recourse as they ransacked his work van.

NO RECOURSE: Before ransacking his company van, thieves kicked over Anthony Pieri’s ladder, leaving him stuck on the roof. (Courtesy of Kasi Reeder)

INSULT TO INJURY: Not only did thieves take all of his tools, they also caused significant damage to a work van. (Courtesy of Kasi Reeder)

While working on the unit, Pieri said he heard noises, and then spotted two men and a woman breaking into his van, smashing several of the windows and denting other areas in the process.

“A big part of me wanted to jump off the roof and attack,” Pieri told Fox 4. “He literally had my entire Milwaukee pack-out tool set stuffed into the trunk.”

CAUGHT IN THE ACT: Thieves stuff Anthony Pieri’s Milwaukee pack-out set in the trunk of a car as he was forced to watch the event unfold from the roof of a Dollar Tree. (Courtesy of Kasi Reeder)

While Pieri snapped photos as the heist was taking place, arrests have yet to be made. A spokesperson for the Kansas City Police told Fox 4 the car used by the criminals may have also been stolen, making it more difficult to track the driver.

Along with his Milwaukee tools, Pieri also reported his recovery machine, refrigerant containers, and numerous other items were also taken.

Like many other HVAC techs, Pieri’s tools are his livelihood, making the whole incident much more difficult to observe as it was taking place.

Lance Cantrell, Pieri’s supervisor, told Fox 4 that the company doesn’t provide tools, meaning all of the replacement costs were likely coming out of Pieri’s pocket.

“That’s his livelihood. That’s how he makes his money,” Cantrell told Fox 4. “Without them, he has to pony up about a thousand dollars just to get back in the field.”

But luckily for Pieri, this story has a different ending.

A GoFundMe was set up to help Pieri recoup the cost of his tool replacement and, as of July 18, $1,065 had been raised, surpassing their goal of $1,000.

In a video posted to Facebook, Pieri said he knows people get robbed every day and didn’t think his situation would be any different, but he’s been taken back by the support he’s received following the incident.

“Thank you to my team at Nextech — a couple of the guys have pitched in toward the tool replacement,” Pieri said, adding he’s been receiving calls of support from Nextech managers and technicians from all over the country who were angered by news of the robbery.

“I was just trying to do my job and it’s the last thing you ever expect to happen,” Pieri said.

Pieri added that Jo Francone, the retail operations leader for Trane Supply, also called him after seeing the report and offered to contribute to his cause.

“She called and said to come in Monday morning and she would help with some of the tool replacement,” he said. “I can’t believe how much support we are getting — not only here, in Kansas City, but throughout the United States.”

“My family, myself, we greatly appreciate it, so thank you guys so much,” Pieri said.

Francone told The ACHR NEWS that once she saw the situation Pieri had found himself in, she felt compelled to help, as technicians sometimes have to purchase their own tools, which are often very expensive.

“The idea that Anthony would have to replace everything that was stolen, and not be able to work until then, made the whole team at Trane feel like we needed to take action,” Francone said. “We told him that he could have whatever he needed. As a manufacturer, Trane relies on these local technicians to provide high-quality service to customers, and hopefully, Anthony will be able to continue his great work sooner than he anticipated.”