Alert Police Work Captures Cell Phone Store Burglars
By Space Coast Daily // January 14, 2013
Palm Bay, West Melbourne Team Up To Catch Trio
BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – Palm Bay Police have captured a trio of Orlando men wanted for burglarizing an area cell phone store.
Palm Bay Public Information Officer Yvonne Martinez said at about 5 a.m. Saturday Palm Bay patrol officers responded to a burglary alarm at Verizon Wireless at 1109 Malabar Road.
When officers arrived the front door of the business was shattered.
Martinez said that because of the type of business targeted in the burglary, Sgt. Boyd Williams immediately sent officers to other cell phone stores in the area including a Sprint store in the Hammock Landings mall at 225 Palm Bay Road in West Melbourne.
Officer Ryan Palmer saw a vehicle parked behind the business and contacted West Melbourne Police for assistance.
Martinez said there were three individuals inside the 2010 Nissan Altima. As officers made contact with the individuals in the vehicle they noticed, in plain view, a blue mask, gloves and an axe.
West Melbourne Police arrested the three individuals for loitering and prowling. The vehicle was seized and Palm Bay detectives obtained a search warrant.
Martinez said after the search warrant was executed, detectives discovered 44 cell phones in the trunk along with the evidence used to commit the burglary at the Verizon store.
A review of the surveillance video revealed the suspects with the same burglary tools and mask that were recovered from the vehicle.
The cell phones, valued at more than $20,000, were confirmed to have been stolen from the Malabar Road Verizon store.
The three suspects were subsequently charged in connection with the burglary and taken to the Brevard County Jail.
“It looks like these individuals drove in from Orlando looking for cell phone businesses along the I-95 corridor,” said Detective Danielle Featherston. “It appears they were after high-dollar cell phones to turn around and cell on Craigslist and other internet venues. We are working with other jurisdictions in the area to determine if this same group may be responsible for other crimes.”
Arrested were Periu Raziel of Orlando, 21, Andre Wilson of Orlando, 27, and Brent Starnes of Orlando, 19.
All three suspects were charged with burglary, grand theft, criminal mischief and possession of burglary tools and the investigation is ongoing.
