Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Two Juveniles Arrested for Burglary


June 17, 2020

On June 16, 2020 Levy County Deputies responded to Fanning Springs Auto to a reported burglary. Deputies and crime scene detectives discovered the burglars entered the business by breaking a window with a crow bar. The burglars took three knives and a set of keys. They then used the keys to take a truck which was parked on the lot. The burglars were not aware they were being videotaped and this evidence was ultimately used to identify one of the suspects.

Deputy Mike Wilkinson contacted School Resource Deputy John Gulledge and both reviewed the video footage. One suspect appeared to be a young teenager. Deputy Gulledge told Deputy Wilkinson he thought this individual was a student and provided his name. 

Deputy Wilkinson was driving to the address listed on the students’ school contact card when he saw a teenager riding a bike wearing the same style of clothing as the person in the surveillance video. He stopped the teenager and asked him for his name. The 15 year old spontaneously began crying and confessing to the crime.

Deputy Wilkinson contacted this 15 year old’s parents and completed an in-depth interview. The teenager gave Deputy Wilkinson the keys to the stolen truck he had in his pocket and one of the stolen knives he had hidden in his room. He also told Deputy Wilkinson where he and his 16 year old burglary partner stashed the truck in a nearby wooded lot.

Deputy Wilkinson located and interviewed the 16 year old who also confessed to this crime.
The truck was located in the woods where the teenagers said they hid it. The truck had been damaged during their joy ride however was returned to Fanning Springs Auto.
  
Both teenagers were arrested and charged with burglary, grand theft auto, possession of burglary tools and criminal mischief. They were booked in at the Levy County Detention Facility and later transferred to the Juvenile Detention Facility.