Pasco County dry cleaning company under investigation, customers missing clothing: PCSO

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. - Weeks after a Land O' Lakes dry cleaning business closed its doors without explanation, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office launched a criminal investigation. 

Now, deputies are working to reunite customers with their items. 

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Customers called $1.99 cleaners, off Land O' Lakes Blvd, a reliable business. 

"It's convenient, I live right up the street," said Dave Kilmer, "A little mom-and-pop, small business, and they were very friendly and polite." 

On Friday, he stopped by to pick up the shirts and shorts he wanted cleaned before his band's show. Kilmer was shocked to see the parking lot empty and a closed sign. 

"I feel like I've been in the Twilight Zone. I've been coming to these cleaners for 5 or 6 years," he said.

Just 24 hours before, Pasco County deputies flooded the area, roping the property off with yellow tape. Investigators were seen going in and out of the building and loading items into a large white box truck. 

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"To our understanding, the business is closed, and some customers are having trouble being able to get the items that they had dropped off to the business back," Amanda Hunter, public information manager for the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, said.

Kelly Long, a customer for over ten years, said her husband dropped multiple pieces of clothing off a few weeks ago. 

"My husband had a two-week routine. He would wear two weeks of clothes, he'd take them, pick them up," she said, "My husband is really tall, so it's hard to go out and buy pants for him at 6'5"."

Long said she was surprised to see the business in trouble. 

"We always had a great experience; they had a policy that you pre-paid either by check or cash," she said.

When asked, PCSO would not disclose information about the business owner or why this is being treated as a criminal investigation as opposed to a civil matter.

Deputies are now working to return items to their rightful owners. If you had items with $1.99 Cleaners, PCSO encourages you to fill out this form to request them back.