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Ex-Employee and “Family Friend” of Sally’s Ice Cream in Flagler Beach Charged With Burglarizing the Business

April 9, 2020 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

sally's ice cream
Sally’s Ice Cream, one of beachside’s more popular destinations, in pre-distancing days. (© FlaglerLive)

Jason Charles Mesagaes Jr., a 19-year-old resident of Faith Lane in Palm Coast, is at the Flagler County jail since Wednesday afternoon on felony charges of burglary and criminal mischief in what police are describing as the resolution of a months-long investigation of a break-in and theft of cash at Sally’s Ice Cream in Flagler Beach six months ago. Mesagaes, who faces a felony drug charge in a previous arrest, is being held on $5,000 bond.




The morning of October 20 Flagler Beach police officers were summoned to Sally’s Ice Cream, the popular parlor in the heart of Flagler Beach, on State Road A1A. A front window to the business had been shattered sometime during the night. Nothing was touched or taken inside–except that the shop’s old-style safe had been opened, with keys, and its contents stolen.

It was immediately apparent to Karen Barchowski, who owns the shop, and to police officers, that whoever had carried out the heist knew what he or she was doing, because the key to the safe was kept in a very particular place that only employees knew about, and opening the safe was no simple matter. Every employee who’d had to do it couldn’t do so without help, especially the first time. It required the use of two keys, and a turning of the key in a particular way.

The case was handled by the department’s newest police officer, Evan Scherr, along with detective Rosanna Vinci. They interviewed all employees and came up empty.

But the burglar had left an unintended calling card. There was fresh blood on the ledge by the window the burglar had broken. Blood samples were collected and sent off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s DNA lab. Meanwhile, police analyzed video surveillance footage from a nearby business. It wasn’t the best quality, so police couldn’t determine who was in the frames. But they could see that it was a man, that he was wearing a hoodie pulled over his face, and that he held a black hammer and some sort of fabric in the other hand. They could see that the man committed the burglary that morning at 1:51 a.m., and that he walked out of the business through the front door at 1:54 a.m.–just three minutes to find his target, get into the safe, and leave. That, too, was an indication that the man knew exactly what he was doing, and so must have been very familiar with the business.

FDLE’s DNA test was completed on Jan. 28. There was a hit: the blood matched that of Mesagaes, with a one in 700 billion possibility that it belonged to someone else. There are fewer than 8 billion people on earth, and though most of them would be fond of Sally’s Ice Cream, authorities concluded that it was impossible that the blood belonged to anyone but Mesagaes. His DNA was in FDLE’s database because of at least one prior arrest.

On Jan. 31, Circuit Judge Terence Perkins signed a warrant for another DNA swab of Mesagaes, which Mesagaes provided after providing a urine test at his parole officer’s office. (The parole officer told police that there was concern Mesagaes was tampering with his urine samples, passing off samples that weren’t his own. A police officer stood by as he provided the sample.) He then submitted to the DNA swab, and agreed to answer officers’ questions.

Scherr told him where the case stood, and that a substantial amount of blood–Mesagaes’ blood–was found by the broken window. Mesagaes said that was not possible. “I explained the only way his blood would be there was if he was physically there and cut himself or if someone drew a large amount of blood from him and placed it there,” Scherr, according to the arrest report, reported telling  Mesagaes. Mesagaes shook his head “No,” that no one took his blood. As Scherr pressed and Mesagaes realized he was in a corner, he said he’d better talk to a lawyer. “I don;t want to answer these questions wrong,” he said.

But he had allowed that he’d previously worked at Sally’s Ice Cream for about six months, either one or two summers before the burglary, serving ice cream and working the cash register. He knew where the safe and its keys would be. He told police he knew the owner and “considered them to be a family friend.” Police also learned in conversation with him that he had allegedly used fentanyl, the drug significantly more potent than heroin, suggesting that the alleged burglary was motivated by a need for cash for more drugs.

On April 7, Perkins signed Mesagaes’s arrest warrant. The next day, Scherr and Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies served the warrant and arrested Mesagaes.

“This case is a perfect example of tenacity, teamwork and utilizing technology to its fullest potential,” Flagler Beach Police Chief Matt Doughney was quoted as saying in a release his agency issued today, giving “two (2) scoops up for all involved in this case.”

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Really says

    April 9, 2020 at 5:47 pm

    Hey such a nice spoiled Coaster slacker looking for the easy way out all the while being a dumb criminal. Well there you have it Family friend and all. Another young junkie looking for the fix. Mom and Dad are so proud for sure . CYA

    Reply
  2. r g s says

    April 9, 2020 at 7:26 pm

    Common Sense Citizen of Flagler County:
    Sally’s is one of the key components to the Mom & Pop businesses within our community. Karen has come back from Hurricanes and has proved herself to be a strong person. Thanks to the law enforcement professionals for keeping our folks safe, as well as their due diligence on tracking down this thief.
    p.s.
    Keep on keeping on!

    Reply
  3. Lance Carroll says

    April 9, 2020 at 9:19 pm

    A terrible act committed against a very caring and giving person. As a business owner and employer, Karen is of the very best. Not many like Karen in this world. It is ashame that substance dependency clouds people’s better judgement. I see it everyday throughout all walks of life. Nothing like a substance abuser that runs over others that genuinely care and give. I see it everyday…

    Reply
  4. Bill says

    April 10, 2020 at 12:18 am

    Good job

    Reply
  5. Richard says

    April 10, 2020 at 7:37 am

    The perp should have paid more attention while watching the Forensic Files on TV versus shooting up drugs and getting high. Have fun while in the Green Roof Inn.

    Reply
  6. Pogo says

    April 10, 2020 at 9:47 am

    @Achtung trump, Fox and Fools, et. al.

    Don’t miss out on this draft pick for your team.

    Reply
  7. BlueJammers says

    April 10, 2020 at 9:48 am

    How could anyone do such a thing to one of Flagler Beach’s treasured icons like Sally’s Ice Cream? We all have great memories of families and children with smiles in front of Sally’s and now this very kind woman, Karen, is betrayed by a once trusted friend. How sad is that?

    A huge thanks to Chief Matt Doughney and all law enforcement professionals for a job well done.

    Reply
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