LAKE CITY, Fla. – A 22-year-old and two teenagers from Gainesville were caught with guns, drugs and a stolen game console in Lake City after some detective work by an officer, police said.
According to the Lake City Police Department, surveillance video captured two suspects wearing masks and gloves breaking into a GameStop store on U.S. 90 West about 2 a.m. Saturday.
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The video showed the suspects throw a rock through the front door glass, enter the building and grab an X-Box One S console before leaving, police said.
Officer Brandon Colbert responded to the alarm, watched the video and spoke to a witness, who provided a vehicle description of a white Chevrolet Camaro that drove off quickly after the alarm sounded.
Colbert decided to patrol the area of a second GameStop location the next night, and about 2 a.m. Sunday noticed a vehicle matching the witness' description leaving the mall parking lot onto U.S. 90 West, police said.
He pulled the Camaro over and during the stop, K-9 Inca alerted on possible narcotics in the vehicle and a search was conducted, which turned up a small amount of suspected marijuana, police said.
Police said a loaded Glock 22 .40-caliber handgun, Daisy 426 Air Pistol and AK-47 assault rifle were also found in the car, along with an X-Box One S gaming console, ski caps and a mask that matched what was seen in the surveillance video.
Police said an unlicensed 15-year-old was driving the car with a 16-year-old and 22-year-old Alajuan Lovette inside. All three admitted during interviews to their involvement in the burglary of GameStop the night before, police said.
All three were arrested and booked into the Columbia County Detention Facility.
Lovette is charged with burglary, grand theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor and is being held on $31,000 bond. The two teens are charged with burglary and grand theft, and one was also charged on an outstanding warrant.
News4Jax is not naming the teenagers because of their ages.
“Due to Officer Colbert’s tenacity and a keen-eyed witness, a swift resolution was brought to this case,” said Chief Argatha Gilmore. “With the weapons found within the vehicle, I’m glad there was also a safe conclusion to this incident also.”