GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Three people suspected of being a part of a traveling car burglary ring were arrested by Gainesville Police Department investigators Monday.
Early Monday morning, GPD received word that a car burglary occurred just outside of their jurisdiction at 5505 SW Archer Road. The style of the burglary was consistent with traveling groups that target vehicles at parks, daycares and fitness centers.
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GPD Special Operations Unit Detective Kathy Posey immediately set up covert surveillance in the Planet Fitness parking lot at 2210 NW 13th Street, hoping that the suspects would continue their pattern.
Shortly after arriving, Posey noticed a minivan traveling through the parking lot and stopping alongside vehicles. This is the pattern of traveling burglary groups - they pull next to a vehicle and if they see that the vehicle is either unlocked or notice a purse, wallet or other item, they will either open the unlocked doors or break the vehicle window.
Unfortunately for the crooks, the patrons at Planet Fitness remembered to lock their vehicles and secure their stuff. These criminals then left the parking lot. A traffic stop was conducted in the 9300 block of NW US 441, and the occupants were identified as burglary suspects and arrested.
A search of their rental vehicle yielded cannabis, broken shards of glass, numerous Visa gift cards, PayPal cards, a forged credit card and a credit card embosser. The driver had a window punch concealed in his shoe.
Through interviews, the three suspects were positively identified as the persons that committed the earlier-mentioned burglary on SW Archer Rd.
The suspects were identified as Keith Williams, 24, John Honore, 29 and Mercedes Little, 24. All three suspects are from Plantation, Florida and it was determined in the interviews that they traveled to Gainesville for the sole purpose of burglarizing vehicles.
Little cooperated with investigators and was released Monday with a mandated court appearance for attempted burglary.
Williams was charged with burglary of a conveyance, possession of less than 20g of cannabis and possession of burglary tools. Honore was charged with passing a forged or falsely embossed credit card, and possession of credit card making equipment. They both are currently in the Alachua County Jail.
GPD investigators often remind residents to lock their vehicles and take their belongings. This case proves why that simple act is so important.