The suspects were targeting day-care center parking lots, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

PINELLAS COUNTY – Deputies have caught three suspects they say are responsible for multiple smash and grab vehicle burglaries in Pinellas and Pasco counties.

Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies have charged Jorge Burleigh, 22, Whitney Smith, 28, and Reginald Williams, 38, with one count each of burglary to an unoccupied dwelling. Burleigh and Smith are from Hollywood, FL. Williams is from Lauderdale Lakes. Pasco County deputies have additional criminal charges for the crimes that took place in their jurisdiction.

Pasco County deputies were tracking a stolen cellular phone Wednesday (March 29) that was taken during a smash and grab vehicle burglary in their jurisdiction. Pasco deputies notified Pinellas deputies that the suspects were headed towards Pinellas County and were targeting day care center parking lots.

Pinellas deputies said they were searching for the suspects at about 5 p.m., when a citizen reported a smash and grab vehicle burglary that had just occurred at the Oak Crest Preschool, 1220 East Lake Road, in unincorporated Tarpon Springs.

Shortly after the vehicle burglary at the preschool, a Pasco County deputy located the suspect vehicle, a 2017 Chrysler van, parked near the intersection of McMullen Booth Road and State Road 580, in Clearwater. When deputies approached the vehicle, they said, all three fled on foot. With the help of K-9 deputies and the flight unit, deputies caught the three.

Deputies said they found valuables and stolen property inside the suspects’ van that belonged to the victims of the Pasco and Pinellas county vehicle burglaries. Deputies said they believe they found personal property belonging to victims in other Florida counties.

Deputies said  Burleigh, Smith, and Williams were frequenting day-care center parking lots looking for personal belongings and valuables such as purses, computers, or phones that were left unattended in victim’s vehicles.

Smith and Williams were arrested and taken to the Pinellas County Jail. Burleigh was taken to a local hospital for a minor injury he received from a canine. Burleigh will be taken to the Pinellas County Jail after he is released from the hospital.

For information about the Pasco sheriff, go to pascosheriff.com. For information about the Pinellas sheriff, go to pcsoweb.com.

Pinellas Sheriff | Pasco Sheriff | Vehicle Burglaries | Crime | Arrests | TB Reporter

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