‘Felony Lane’ Thieves May Have Struck In Melbourne
By Space Coast Daily // August 30, 2012
Stole Purse Of Mother And Deceased Daughter
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The “Felony Lane” gang is suspected of pulling off a burglary and fraud in Melbourne.
Melbourne Police Department spokesman Sgt. Trevor Shaffer said police were called to the scene of a vehicle burglary about 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Upon arrival at an abandoned lot near the intersection of Dairy Road and Snicole Avenue, police learned that the vehicle belonged to the mother of a woman, Berta Elizabeth Bryant, who died in an automobile accident at that same location last weekend.
Shaffer said the mother parked her car there to attend a roadside memorial for her daughter and when she returned to her car, she found that her purse and that of her deceased daughter had been taken from the vehicle.
The vehicle had most likely been unlocked during the incident, according to Shaffer.
“A few hours after the initial report was taken, the victim called back and relayed that the suspect used her credit card at 8:14 a.m. at the Walmart in Viera and again at the Target across the street,” Shaffer said. “The suspect purchased several phone cards and an iPad before leaving the area.”
The suspect is described as a black male in his mid- to late-20’s with glasses and sleeve style tattoos on his arms. He appears to have been driving a maroon or pruple Ford Taurus.
Shaffer said police investigators believe that the suspect or suspects are involved in crimes labeled “Felony Lane” by law enforcement officials. These crimes usually involve suspects from out of the area, frequently South Florida, arriving locally and committing car burglaries in one jurisdiction then utilizing stolen credit cards or checks in another.
The suspects will frequently use rental vehicles and target areas such as parks, gyms, day care centers, or other places where people will leave purses or wallets in their vehicles. The suspects will then travel a moderate distance to another city and use the credit cards.
The Melbourne Police Department is requesting the public’s help in identifying the suspect. The public is also reminded to avoid leaving purses and other valuables in their vehicles while unattended. Also they should be aware of their surroundings while exiting their vehicles for suspicious individuals or vehicles.
Anyone with information is asked to call CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477) or the Melbourne Police Department’s Crime Tip Line at 321-409-2259.
