A 16-year-old resident of Palm Coast’s Plateau Lane who’d had run-ins with law enforcement before was arrested on Saturday (Sept. 28) and charged with six counts of felony burglaries or attempted burglaries after P-Section residents reported break-ins on Plumtree Place.
A couple who routinely check their surveillance camera footage every morning brought the matter to law enforcement’s attention last weekend. The couple was checking footage on Saturday when they noticed someone walking on their property, just after 6 a.m. The individual tried opening the locked car doors on two cars parked in the driveway.
As deputies were speaking with the couple at the house, they got a report from a nearby neighbors on Plumtree that both their cars were burglarized: a gold-plated men’s chain bracelet valued at $150 was stolen, and the lid to a center console was broken off, causing $100 in damage. The vehicle owner said it was left unlocked because his children like to play in and around it. The vehicle of yet another homeowner was rummaged through, but nothing appeared to have been taken.
Deputies looked for homes with additional surveillance cameras and found one–at a house that was no longer occupied, but where the cameras were still installed and still recording. Deputies located the owner, who volunteered the footage. It showed a black male with a tall thin build, in gym shorts and a dark-color, hooded sweatshirt with bright color trim. During the investigation, a deputy recalled that an individual in the neighborhood had been recently investigated on suspicions of burglaries.
It was the 16-year-old boy in question. Deputies paid him a visit. He wasn’t home. His mother, according to his arrest report, “did not confirm or deny that it was her son in the video.” But she collected her son and made contact again with deputies, agreeing to an interview. The boy was wearing the same shorts that had been observed in the video, and was “easily recognizable as the individual attempting to burglarize the vehicles,” his arrest report states. The report alleges he admitted to the thefts, and agreed to ride around the neighborhood with a deputy (and his mother) , identifying other vehicles he’d burglarized or attempted to burglarize.
Back at the boy’s home, his mother granted permission to have his room searched for evidence. A black hooded sweatshirt with bright orange trim was found, as was a brown Gucci case with 24 rounds of ammunition for a .380 handgun. That was found in one of the boy’s shoes. The boy was placed under arrest.
“This is another great example of how good police work, a proactive community and technology can work together to apprehend offenders and stop crime in Flagler County,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Our deputies collected footage captured from a home surveillance system and one of our deputies recognized the suspect immediately.” In an interview this afternoon, the sheriff said that car burglaries are actually down 56 percent so far this year, compared to last year, thanks to more awareness about keeping vehicles locked and deputies’ routine checks on juvenile probationers.
Michele says
Thanks to Ring cameras also!
Deirdre says
Why don’t people put their cars in the garage where they belong. Careless to leave valuables in cars. Palm coasters wake up .
Land of no turn signals say's says
I guess he was just walking to school.
Pat says
So glad the mother made her child accountable for these crimes. May just save his life. Hope local Judge now gets this kid into a program to straightened him out. Crime may pay but only in the short run. Great job everyone.
resident says
Excellent police work, Thanks for all you do.
ASF says
The mother was probably at her wits end. She may have saved her son’s life by turning him in. Hoepfully, he is not part of a larger gang who will now come after HER.
Mary Fusco says
Pat, she really had no choice. Videos do not lie. Maybe she should have known where he was in the middle of the night.
Mary Fusco says
Pat, she really had no choice. Videos do not lie. Maybe she should have known where he was in the middle of the night.
Lamo says
Mam, you hit the nail, right on the head.
Concerned Citizen says
Good to see that the public is following the #9pm routine. Locked cars save a lot of headache. And video cameras are worth the expense.
To the vehicle owner letting their kids play in and around the car. You need to think twice about that. Your kids have no busniess playing in or around a vehicle. Please lock it up and find something safer for them to do.
It only takes one time for something bad to happen. And a lifetime of regret.
Pat says
Not everyone has a garage. How about people just quit stealing.
Concerned citizen says
These kids case our neighborhoods during the day.
Start taking down plate #’s, take a picture etc so when there is a burglary we can at least give the police some information..
The other day an older black bmw with paint missing was driving slow down my street towards the end of our culdesac around 3 PM. When they saw me they peeled out speeding down the street.
T.F. says
@ASF There are no large gangs in the area of palm coast. If there are any gangs, then they are dis-organized and don’t really cause any major trouble. even then, in most gangs, if a gang member is turned in, for say by their mother, then they would rarely come after the mother.
hawkeye says
agree with you Pat
Jazzlady says
I agree. How is it these parents don’t know where these kids are all times of night. I blame the parents. Be a parent, lay down rules and follow them. Why should the community have to pay. Great police work.
ASF says
Unfortunately, T.F., I have seen gang members come after people’s young children. I don’t think mothers would be off-limits for such people.
Toni says
Amen, i have one and a ring backyard flood light cam!!!
Debbie says
Theres no way a parent would know that a child slipped out(the article said 6amwif they are sleeping,unless they had an alarm ring when they leave,dont blame the parents on this.
ril says
If the parents did their job in the first place, the kid would not be stealing. Yes, blame the parents!
Tom says
Garages too full of things they don’t use anymore.
Sandra Kassabian says
Not all vehicles fit in a garage. We have a Dodge conversion van that is too tall so it is on the driveway but it’s always locked
and nothing of value is left in plain sight or even IN the van. My husband used to leave his wallet in his work pick-up when we lived in a NW suburb of Chicago and it would drive me nuts. He stopped doing that after his boss, who lived just across the IL WI border, had his truck cleaned out while parked overnight on their driveway. Pete lost his wallet, laptop, cell phone and tools.
If this 16 year old is up @ 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, he should be given a compulsory job in which he has to clock in @ 5 or 6 a.m. on the weekends. It should keep him busy and tired enough to not have the energy to go roaming neighborhood cars at the crack of dawn.
George McMillan says
Worked in claims dept for an auto ins co for 30 years – majority of car break ins/robberies happened because the vehicles were unlocked. Didn’t matter if it was a public lot, a poor neighborhood or a rich neighborhood, city or burb. Lock your vehicle up every single time you exit and never leave valuables in sight. The surveillance cameras are a must today. Porch pirates, home break ins, etc. We all wish criminals wouldn’t steal but they do. Up to us to prevent as much as possible.
Vic Chavez says
Call the police dept to report suspicious vehicle, give as much info as possible. If more people reported the suspicious activity those facts would be on file, and they can send a patrol car, which can deter some of this. See something, say something. Just please don’t call 911 unless it is a true emergency.
Harry Rodriguez says
the kid doesn’t need a job. he needs discipline or a role model. there are plenty of people that have jobs and still perform mischief, vandalism, etc.. He has no fear to disrespect his parents, so he may graduate to stealing the cars as he gets older. sad reality.