PALM COAST, Fla. – Stolen property, including firearms, two vehicles and a boat, was recovered from two recent residential burglaries in Palm Coast, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly announced Friday.
Deputies said an adult and three juveniles face charges of armed burglary, grand theft auto, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and other related charges. Investigators gathered evidence for arrest warrants Friday.
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Staly said one burglary happened shortly after midnight Tuesday, the same day he became sheriff.
"This was the first burglary on my watch, so I take it personally," Staly said. "There's always a link between crime and drugs, and this one is no different."
Deputies said the burglary happened on Fleming Court. It was discovered when a relative of the homeowner came to check on the home and found that it had been burglarized.
The relative was at the scene after reporting the burglary, removing valuables in case someone returned. Deputies said his silver 2000 Toyota 4Runner SUV was stolen from the driveway while he was there. He reported his vehicle being stolen at around 3:16 p.m.
A Bunnell Police officer found the SUV abandoned at Martin Luther King Jr. and South Peach streets, the Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies learned about two possible suspects. The Sheriff's Office said that video surveillance showed two younger males paddling a camouflage johnboat that deputies learned was stolen and was used to travel behind the Fleming Court residence without being seen.
A deputy received a tip Thursday that led him to a juvenile suspect in the Fleming Court burglary. The Sheriff's Office said investigators interviewed him and developed enough probable cause that they secured a search warrant for a home on Big Bear Lane in Palm Coast.
Investigators served the search warrant just before 5 p.m. Thursday and searched the residence, where they discovered multiple items of stolen property, deputies said.
Most of the property was linked to the burglary on Fleming Court. Deputies said several items were also determined to be from a residential burglary reported Dec. 31 on Birchwood Drive in Palm Coast, including a black 2011 Ford Mustang.
Some of the recovered items have not been linked to a burglary, the Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies said the recovered property includes:
- Mac 10-style handgun with eight live rounds
- .25-caliber Phoenix Arms semi-automatic handgun
- Pellet rifle
- BB-style handgun
- Barnett Jackal crossbow
- Various 9mm ammunition with live rounds
- Several baggies of marijuana
- Xbox video game, controller and headphones
- Jewelry, handbags and an iPhone 6
Staly said he hopes the public can help the Sheriff's Office identify the owners of some of the recovered property. He praised the work of deputies and detectives in the operation.
"I think we did pretty good on the search warrant last night," Staly said. "We recovered a bunch of guns stolen and other property."
The Sheriff's Office said Staly reiterated what he said at Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony, when he promised to be tough on crime and plans to share information with neighboring counties to make sure criminals are caught.
"The vacancy light is on at the green-roofed hotel," Staly said.