ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Deputies in St. Johns County are reminding residents to remove valuables and lock their cars after approximately 24 vehicles were burglarized overnight, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said thieves got away with two firearms, which were recovered following a pursuit with a stolen vehicle.
Recommended Videos
The Sheriff’s Office said the St. Augustine Police Department located a Dodge Journey reported stolen from Clay County. When they tried pulling the car over, deputies said the driver fled, traveling over the Vilano Bridge, where police laid out stop sticks.
Investigators said multiple people ran from the vehicle, but police managed to arrest one person, who was taken to the St. Johns County Jail. A second person was later apprehended.
The Sheriff's Office said deputies arrested Aneudy Ramon Gutierrez, 18 and Josiah Luis Martinez, 18, both of Jacksonville (pictured above).
There were two additional suspects, according to the Sheriff's Office, that fled the scene. They have not been located. Deputies said a 2004 Ford Excursion that was in the area was reported stolen. They believe the two suspects may have taken it.
Throughout the course of the investigation, authorities found several firearms inside the stolen Dodge Journey, deputies said. Around the same time, the Sheriff's Office said it began receiving phone calls about numerous car burglaries in the Southeast District.
The sheriff’s office posted this on Facebook:
SJSO cannot stress enough to everyone to please remove valuables and lock your vehicles. This is a trend that is growing in our area and the best way to protect your assets is to make it remove the opportunity from the criminal. KEEP IT YOURS – LOCK YOUR DOORS.