A husband and wife team suspected of multiple thefts of air conditioning units throughout Palm Bay was caught in the act during the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning, according to Yvonne Martinez, City of Palm Bay Public Information Coordinator. (Palm Bay Police images)
ABOVE VIDEO:On Tuesday night, Palm Bay police officers performed surveillance with the assistance of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, STAR. Just after 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, officers witnessed the suspect Vincent Modeen, Jr. in the area of Dorchester Road NW in Palm Bay.
Police Believe Couple Stole As Much As $250,000 Worth of A/C Units In Palm Bay
BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – A husband and wife team suspected of multiple thefts of air conditioning units throughout Palm Bay was caught in the act during the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday morning, according to Yvonne Martinez, City of Palm Bay Public Information Coordinator.
Vincent Modeen Jr., 29, and his wife, Shauna Modeen, 29, face felony charges involving grand theft and felony criminal mischief. The couple posted bail late Wednesday and police re-arrested them for additional charges Thursday morning.
Over the course of the last week, officers with the Special Operations Division (SOD) received information that Vincent Modeen may have been involved in the theft of air conditioning units, according to police.
According to police, Officers approached the home and witnessed Vincent Modeen tampering with the air conditioning unit. He was wearing a camouflage mask over his face, a dark hooded shirt with his head covered and dark gloves covering his hands. Further investigation revealed Modeen had been preparing the unit for removal. He was arrested in the act of attempting to steal the unit. His wife was arrested at their home on Altimara Street less than a block away.
On Tuesday night, officers began surveillance with the assistance of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, STAR. Just after 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, officers witnessed the suspect Modeen in the area of Dorchester Road NW.
On Tuesday night, officers began surveillance with the assistance of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, STAR.
According to police, Vincent Modeen exited a white van, that was later determined to have been driven by his wife Shauna.
Vincent Modeen was dropped off in the 1000 block of Dorchester Road where he was seen on the east side of a home for approximately 30 minutes. The BSCO STAR unit was hovering over the area and maintaining surveillance.
A short time later, officers approached the home and witnessed Vincent Modeen tampering with the air conditioning unit. He was wearing a camouflage mask over his face, a dark hooded shirt with his head covered and dark gloves covering his hands.
Further investigation revealed Modeen had been preparing the unit for removal. He was arrested in the act of attempting to steal the unit. His wife was arrested at their home on Altimara Street less than a block away.
A subsequent search warrant of the couple’s home revealed evidence of multiple A/C unit thefts with several complete units in the garage along with dozens of parts from dismantled units. Officers also located a freshly stolen unit in the couple’s van.
Tim Zander
“With what we found in this investigation we believe they have stolen as much as $250,000 worth of A/C units,” said Captain Tim Zander.
“Mr. Modeen’s wife would drop him off at various locations, then pick him up when he was ready to load the stolen A/C’s in to the van.”
Two additional suspects were arrested at the couple’s home on unrelated drug charges. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
ABOVE MAP:According to police, Vincent Modeen exited a white van, that was later determined to have been driven by his wife Shauna. Vincent Modeen was dropped off in the 1000 block of Dorchester Road where he was seen on the east side of a home for approximately 30 minutes. The BSCO STAR unit was hovering over the area and maintaining surveillance. A short time later, officers approached the home and witnessed Vincent Modeen tampering with the air conditioning unit. He was wearing a camouflage mask over his face, a dark hooded shirt with his head covered and dark gloves covering his hands.
