Sonny Gallardo, a 14-year-old Prairie Village lawn care business owner, said thieves stole equipment worth about $20,000

The theft, reported by FOX 4, wiped out nearly everything Gallardo had built over four years with his company, Sunnyside Jobs LLC. The equipment was stolen before Gallardo could get the business insured, KCTV5 reported.

The theft happened the night before Halloween, according to KCTV5 and the GoFundMe page set up by Gallardo's family. A neighbor's Ring doorbell camera recorded what happened. The footage, described by FOX 4, shows someone arriving in a truck, detaching Gallardo's equipment trailer and towing it away in a matter of minutes.

The stolen items included five mowers, two weed eaters, two blowers and other tools, KCTV5 reported. Gallardo's family said the thieves also emptied the work vehicle.

"It was $20,000 worth of equipment, including the weedwackers, mowers and all that, blowers. It took me three years to get that equipment, and it's a bummer it had to go," Gallardo told KCTV5.

According to the GoFundMe page, one insurance company denied coverage because the business also offers power washing. Gallardo was working with a second insurer, but coverage was not yet in place.

How the business started

Gallardo got his start going door to door after school to rake leaves. His grandfather drove him around and brought the supplies he needed. What began as small neighborhood jobs expanded into a full lawn care operation across the Kansas City metro, eventually growing large enough to support a crew of five.

"Nothing is going to put me down. I mean, you can try your best, but I'm never going to go down," Gallardo told KCTV5. "I love this stuff too much. It's been my dream since I was little."

Gallardo spent his savings on a stand-on mower to keep working after the theft, FOX 4 reported. He is still working and is available for jobs in Prairie Village, KCTV5 reported.

Police ask public for help

Prairie Village police are treating the case as an active investigation, according to both FOX 4 and KCTV5. As of Nov. 10, detectives had not identified any suspects, KCTV5 reported. The department asked residents to report anyone offering lawn equipment for sale in unusual quantities, whether at a yard or online.

Both outlets reported that police described lawn and landscaping equipment theft as an ongoing concern in the area.

A GoFundMe organized by Gallardo's family had raised $24,236 as of Nov. 11. Anyone with information about the theft can contact the Prairie Village Police Department.