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.