3 teens arrested following car burglaries in St. Augustine Beach

1 man had truck windshield smashed, credit cards, cell phone stolen

ST. AUGUSTINE BEACH, Fla. – Three teenagers were arrested by the St. Augustine Beach Police Department following several car break-ins at Ocean Hammock Park.

Patrick Jean, 18, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old were each charged with four counts of burglary to a vehicle and possession of burglary tools.

St. Augustine Beach police say several car burglaries were reported Thursday afternoon from Ocean Hammock Park.  Police were called to the Florida Citrus Center just before 7:30 p.m. about a suspicious group of people.

Upon arrival, two men (pictured below) in the group took off running while three teenagers remained on scene. Investigators were still looking for those two men.

Police searched the area and found an SUV, which was reported stolen from a dealership, wrecked in a ditch nearby. Inside the SUV, officers found several items that were reported stolen earlier in the day from Ocean Hammock Park.

The three teenagers were arrested and taken into the St. Johns County Inmate Facility. 

One man, who asked not to be identified, told News4Jax his vehicle was burglarized Thursday while he and his family were enjoying the beach.

"We heard some commotion, and we came around the corner and saw a young man sitting in an SUV in the passenger side and he said, 'somebody is coming,” the man said.

When the man got to his vehicle, he noticed the windshield was smashed and credit cards, a cell phone and other personal belongings were stolen.

"I actually moved down here from New York two years ago to get away from that behavior," the man said. "It’s more disheartening than anything, especially for my daughter who had to see this and she’s really upset."

Police said charges were pending in the investigation.