Car and truck thieves and burglars have been all over Palm Coast lately, with seven reported thefts in the last seven days. Three vehicles and six firearms were recovered, though the vehicle thefts are for the most part not connected.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office made two arrests Friday on burglary charges and grand theft auto. The office charged Sammy Rozier, a 16 year old, with grand theft auto, grand theft of firearms and armed burglary in connection with the burglary of firearms from a garage at a Postman Lane home. And it charged Josiah Merriweather, 18, on charges of armed burglary and grand theft of a firearm. Six firearms, including an assault rifle, a shotgun and pistols, had been reported stolen from the Potman Lane address.
Two firearms were recovered in a swale on Poinbury Drive, while four handguns, two smartphones, an assortment of ammunition and gun magazines matching the firearms and a Chrysler key fob, among other items, were recovered from two backpacks a witness said were dropped in his backyard by two teenagers Friday morning, on Point Wood Drive. The Sheriff’s Office had asked Flagler County Fire Flight to fly over the P Section this morning as part of the investigation.
Key to a break in the case was a deputy’s patrol in the area of Royal Palms and Point Pleasant around 5:40 a.m. Friday morning, when he noticed two males walking down the sidewalk. One was Rozier, known to deputies as an offender currently on probation for a misdemeanor offense. He was initially arrested for violation of probation for being out after curfew. During a subsequent interview with both subjects, they admitted to multiple vehicle burglaries, a residential burglary, and the theft of a vehicle.
“These two subjects went on a crime spree, but they didn’t get away with it,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a release issued this afternoon. “An alert patrol deputy along with our detectives did a great job in quickly solving and recovering stolen property. The stolen firearms had the potential for violent crimes in the future or be sold on the black market or traded for drugs. These crimes were again crimes of opportunity. I ask our community to lock their cars, don’t keep car keys in cars and keep their garage doors closed.” The garage door on Postman Lane had been left open.
The two individuals could face additional charges.
Staly has repeatedly spoken of Flagler being a hub for vehicle thefts, with the vehicles then taken to Volusia County or elsewhere: many vehicles stolen here are later found in Volusia.
The Town and Country Chrysler recovered in Bunnell had been reported stolen on Oct. 7 from a home on Eastland Lane in Palm Coast. The vehicle had been left unlocked, and the keys left in the vehicle.
But the owner had security footage from around the house. “Four subjects wearing dark clothing, hoodies, visors and hats were seen entering the vehicle,” according to the incident report. “The video also shows that at 01:34 AM, the same four subjects come back
and enter the vehicle and leave the scene. The subjects are unable to be identified however they appear to be teenage black males wearing hoodies, pants, and two were wearing a visor and bandana to cover their face.”
Other vehicle thefts remain unsolved, including the most brazen theft Thursday evening, involving a 2014 Chrysler 300.
Marcus Holland, a 34-year-old resident of Beach Village Circle in Palm Coast, was out delivering for Pizza Hut in his Chrysler. He’d stopped to make a delivery at 52 Kalamazoo Trail (a large thin crust, bacon and pepperoni pizza, large regular cheese pizza and apple pie). He had just seen a black juvenile riding a bicycle, wearing a gray hoodie and tan shorts, possibly carrying a backpack. He put the car in park but left it running and unlocked as he approached the residence to make the pizza delivery.
It took 30 seconds or less: when he got to the door, he saw the same juvenile enter his vehicle and leave the area. His Samsung Galaxy cellular phone, his wallet, a debit card and $200 cash were inside the vehicle. The resident who was to take delivery of the food corroborated the account to deputies.
Efforts were made to ping the cellular phone and track the vehicle by GPS. Both failed.
Here’s the remaining rundown of the other thefts over the past week:
Six days ago (On Oct. 7) Bruce Salmons, a 52-year-old Palm Coast truck driver, had parked his $243,000 Kenworth semi and its trailer at 147 Matanzas Woods Parkway. When he returned the next evening, the truck was gone, and with it a cargo of miscellaneous goods worth $500,000.
The same evening of Oct. 7, Jermodris Dunlap, the 29-year-old Bunnell man who just last month was standing with his family in a news conference at the Sheriff’s Office to talk about his brother, who had been murdered by his cousin earlier that day, was visiting at 84 Ramble Wood Drive in Palm Coast. He’d driven a rental. When he left the house he told deputies the car, which belongs to Enterprise, was gone.
The next evening deputies reported to the report of a car crash at 41 Rae Drive, where a 2017 Chevy Impala had overturned in the driveway. There were no occupants in the adjacent homes, no one in the car, no witnesses to the crash. But as a deputy was working the scene, contacting a towing company and writing a crash report, Dunlap showed up and told the deputy that it had been the rented car that had disappeared. Asked how he knew to look for it at that location on Rae Drive, “he did not have an answer,” an incident report stated. “He later said someone had called to tell him on his cell phone.” The vehicle was not driveable.
On Oct. 9, a Honda Accord that had been reported stolen from 46 Clubhouse Drive overnight–the vehicle was last seen the previous day in the afternoon–was found at Central Avenue and Town center: a friend of the 22-year-old owner had called him and told him the vehicle had been discovered at that location. It was missing a set of jumper cables and a magazine for a 9mm weapon.
The early morning of Oct. 11, the resident at 175 Brookhaven Drive reported that a blue 2006 Saturn that had been parked in the driveway the previous evening had been stolen overnight, along with the 26-year-old victim’s wallet, her bank card, social security card, and items valued at $480. The victim reported that the car had been left unlocked, and the keys left in the car. That car was recovered in Bunnell Friday on Elm Street.
The same day, Jordan Sann, the manager of Safe Ship at 226 St. Joe Plaza, reported to deputies that a 26-year-old man who had rented a U-Haul in late August had yet to return it. The manager had been in contact with the renter in the last couple of weeks–a woman who gave her address as being in Palm Coast, though the truck was not located there, and contact was eventually lost. The manager wanted to pursue charges over the theft of a 15-foot truck valued at $45,000.
“Let’s work together to keep our community safe,” Staly said. “I encourage you to watch our most recent crime prevention video ‘Disaster’ on our home page www.flaglersheriff.com.”
woodchuck says
Please do not leave your guns in your vehicles overnight otherwise the cycle will never end.
Kevin says
Perhaps those gun owners who don’t keep their weapons securely locked and they get stolen, the owner should be held liable for any crimes committed with their stolen weapons, if an injury or murder occurs they should be considered an accessory for providing the weapon through their stupidity to the criminal. Guns don’t kill people but sometimes stupid owners do.
thomas says
I hope the Mayor reads Flagler Live.
Sw says
Treat them like adults and lock them up for a long time. Wash rinse repeat cycle nice work FCSO
Dave says
Lock up your guns! Gun owners who don’t lock thier guns should be held somewhat responsible
georgia says
This is why we need street lights. More lighting would stop alot of car hopping, and robberies. At least if people would leave outside lights on robbers would go right passed. Next if you are stupid enough to leave your gun in a car even if its locked you should be brought up on charges too. I do believe in the 2 amendment but be responsible keep your gun with you. If these people would be charged for leaving their guns in cars they would think twice. That would be less guns on the street. Also have more cops out in all the sections like the C, R,P, K, LL, and L . These kids and adults know the cops are never out here at night. They mainly stay where all the stores are.
Chuck says
Maybe they were securely locked up. Key word is they BROKE into someone else’s property. Let’s not play the blame the victim card.
bob says
Plain old stupidity. Leave weapons, wallets, and car keys in an unlocked car and then act suprised when your stuff is stolen. You might as well put a sign in your yard saying take what you want. Idiots
woodchuck says
The sheriff’s dept. is on point and doing a great job.
gmath55 says
Parenting skills have gone to the wayside! With all the guns people have I see a child getting shot and then the parents suing.
BlueJammers says
Great Police work, Sheriff Staly and FCSO!
anonymas says
thank you for finding my car yes I was dumb I forgot there was a second set of keys in my backpack I was going to go back out and grab it but I feel asleep after a long day of work kids dinner tball home our nightly routine I was so tired I passed out and forgot to pull my backpack out of the car….it the is most horrible feeling to not have ur car!!! thank you Flagler sheriff department and dep.ebell who called me about locating my car! ill never leave her unlocked or anything in her again!.
Jolene dehart says
Palm Coast turning into downtown Chicago
Percy's mother says
Regarding the need for street lights, you can call FPL and request a street light be placed at the closest pole on or near your property. . FPL will schedule the work and FPL will send someone to install a light. Easy to do. Don’t know why people keep complaining about the inability to have a street light.
$10.00 a month.
You can call FPL on Monday or keep complaining about it.
Fpc Student says
I don’t care what he did , don’t judge Sammy unless you know what he came from .His mom died when he was a jit and his grandma can’t do everything for herself , he just wanna take care of his sisters and brothers . IT’S FREE SAMMY TIL ITS BACKWARDS !!!!!!
anonymas says
my car was the Saturn vue stolen and recovered…..there wasn’t any guns in my car but yes I was dumb enough to leave the keys in the car….although our neighborhood has street lights on every corner there is about 20 light poles in my neighborhood but they still managed to steal my car and break into 7 others so street lights don’t really make a difference, the fact that the kids are so young is the difference. if palm coast opened up a YMCA or a big brother big sister club or SOMETHING for these teenagers then they would be less likely to commit dumb crimes that mess up their whole life…..I really feel bad for the familys of these teens that made a dumb choice. it was stolen between the hours of midnight and 5 am….what is a 16 year old doing out between those hours on a school night? why is he hanging out with an adult? im sure if there was more things to for teenagers to do they would less likely be involved in dumb things like this. I really just want to ask him why? why would you choose to steal some ones car that they work their ass of for? struggling mother of two as booth teens could see when they got in my car diapers wipes car seats kid toys and shoes in the car…..did either think for a second if it was their mother? why instead of boosting cars be a role model for the 16 year old….from the looks of both of their social media pages they didn’t come from a privlage life and I understand the struggle. But instead of being a role model the 18 year old to the 16 year old teaching him how to play football from the looks of his page he really enjoyed the game….you threw your hopes of going to college on a full ride out the window when you decided to open other peoples cars and steal things that were not yours, sentimental valued things inside of my car im sure are gone will never be replaced….had me get in trouble at work for not being there on time, made my mind twisted couldn’t eat sleep or think. for the past few days all I could think about is the fact my car was gone it was my fault for leaving it unlocked with the keys in it but what if you two kids got hurt?!?!?!?!?!!? I would NEVER forgive myself or if they hurt someone else such as a hit and run…I cried so hard I couldn’t cry anymore….id really like the change to meet these kids. not to yell at them or for revenge but I just want to look them in the eye and ask why and what is their life plan now. I hate to see these young kids get into this life. you live in a decent town. have decent schools filled with teachers that care. but you want to be ghetto and steal other peoples property. why? I come from Washington dc, im not a native floriden and I love it here. You want to be ghetto ? go up there you wont last a day…..they will shoot u just because you don’t look right or you are on the wrong side of the road. that’s ghetto. come on palm coast we need to save these kids. OUR COMMUNTYs kids!!!!! it starts with the parents but the community can make A DIFFERENCE! I forgive these kids but I wont forget and I really would like to start some type of program for kids between the ages of 12-17 i understand life is hard at that age but you can push threw it and good things will come to people who work hard ive been all down that road to many times and ill never go back having my kids changed my life. I don’t want my kids becoming part of this cycle as well. I want ALL kids to prosper and grow and succeed!!!! because at the end of the day these “dumb kids” “hoodlems” “teenagers” are our worlds FUTURE!
Anonymous says
I had a street light and my car was stolen out of my driveway years ago….
Concerned Citizen says
I don’t care what kind of background you come from nothing gives you the right to steal from someone else. Get a job if you need money. Even if it’s flipping burgers.
So tired of hearing people trying to defend a criminal with a broken past. lets start feeling sorry for the victims. The sense of entitlement from these wanna be young tough guys is amazing.
Folks please take the extra time to lock your vehicles. It only takes a few seconds to double check and at least make it more difficult to get in to your car.
Finally why are we seeing so many unsecured firearms? If you own fire arms ( especially plural) please take the extra step and expense to get a gun safe. It might not be a perfect solution and it might be inconvenient but at least a would be burglar has to work harder . And stop leaving them in your vehicle!!
I think laws should be passed to hold gun owners responsible if their guns are stolen and used in a crime. The second amendment may give you the right to own a weapon but there obviously needs to be accountability and responsibility as well.
I am prior Law Enforcement and own a weapon myself. It is always secure and I can get to it if needed. I would also feel horrible if that weapon was stolen and used in a crime. Just take the time and secure it. That’s all we are asking.
anonymas says
to the fpc student you guys are young….so if it was your mom who’s car he stole would you still feel the same? I understand he comes from hard times as well as every one that has some type of hard story….I am a struggling mom of two so its ok that he stole my car and put me threw hell! had my five year old crying because his favorite shoes was in the car his new ones that I cant replace for a while b.c bills and food are more important! that doesn’t mean I go out and STEAL someone else’s car! I work my ass of at WORK and make money to SUPPORT my FAMILY…. I work hard for all the things I want…..I didn’t grow up privileged n didn’t even graduate high school. Instead of stealing cars and guns why not go get a job work his ass off and help pay the bills and have money in his pocket to buy his own car. I forgive him and hope he learns his lesion….it was not worth it I wish he was more involved in positive successful youth activates not street gang stuff…
blondee says
@FPC Student sorry but that’s a weak and lame argument. #stayinschool
Anonymous says
fpc student,.be careful your privilege is showing…
Sw says
Heres a novel idea tell your classmate to get A JOB that might help.
ASF says
If only people put at least as much thought into their actions as they do into their excuses….!