Due to medical problems, Casella can be at the tree lot for only a few hours at a time since he has to rest his leg.
The items stolen included drills, cash registers, blowers, credit card machines and even holiday presents Casella stored in the trailers.
Casella was forced to close both his business and personal bank accounts after briefcases with checks were found missing. He predicts his total loss around $16,000, including his truck.
Burbank Police say they have no leads on the whereabouts of Casella's 1995 Ford truck with a 12-foot bed and "pinkish-red paint along both sides." The four-door truck has a Washington state license plate — number A39857X — and has a hydraulic lift on the back.
The impact of the stolen truck will hit hard at the season's close when crews pack up the lot and return to the tree farm in Washington.
"We're still checking on forensic evidence," said Burbank Police Det. Wally Schilling.
Although there is no word on the truck's location, its recovery would yield additional clues about the perpetrators, Schilling said.
Even with no official leads, Casella believes it might have been former disgruntled employees based on the items that were stolen and how easily the thieves located the keys and equipment.
"They took everything they could get their hands on," he said. "They even locked the gate when they left and threw the keys back on the ground."
Casella is unsure whether the lot will operate at a loss this year.
Despite difficulties with his insurance, Casella will still sell all of his trees before Christmas. Less than 100 remained this week.
"It's going to be really tough because we lost so much," he said. "But the city has been very gracious to the Casellas, and we're happy we can keep coming back here."
Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call Schilling at (818) 238-3275, or wschilling@ci.burbank.ca.us.
