Thieves caught in Fernandina this morning
 

Villages news reporting that two young men were caught early this morning in the Village of Fernandina when a homeowner called 911 when they saw suspicious activity. The two young men were arrested around 5:45.

The thieves don't realize that us older people are up and around early! Congratulations to the neighbor who called!! :bigbow:

Thank-You to my neighbor that called.....

It appears Sumter County sheriff’s deputies may have foiled an early morning burglary attempt in the Village of Fernandina.Two men are in custody in the Sumter County Detention Center.The sheriff’s office received a report of a burglary in progress at about 5:45 a.m. Thursday in the 1400 block of Ducksbury Street.A homeowner reported seeing two young men with flashlights and knit caps, traveling in a light-colored car. Shortly thereafter, deputies made contact with a similar car. The occupants of the car gave consent to deputies to search the automobile, and found were burglary tools, knit caps and flashlights. Also found were a garage door opener and an owner’s manual for a Mazda RX-7. It was later determined the manual and garage door opener were taken from the 1100 block of Allaire Loop. Deputies also received another complaint of sunglasses, reading glasses and a small prescription bottle containing loose change were taken from a Chevy Silverado pickup truck. There were pry marks indicating someone had tried to take a navigation system.Charged are Corey Smith, 22, of Lady Lake and Jordan Goetzen, 18, of Weirsdale.They are each facing charges of possession of burglary tools, loitering and prowling, methamphetamine possession, criminal mischief and petty theft.Smith and Goetzen are being held on $19,500 bond each at the Sumter County Detention Center.

Lt. Bobby Caruthers said detectives are trying to determine if the two are linked to previous burglaries in The Villages.

Hats Off
 

Hats off to the Sheriff dept and the resident that made the early call.

Way to GO!!!!! It is great to be vigilant about your surroundings---

Glad to hear they caught these idiots. A car manual??? That should have a great resale value. sheesh!!!!! Now, if they could catch the guy who kicks in doors.

Way to go neighbors and police!

Saw

I'm glad they were caught before the burglary was committed. Maybe that will deter these young men from a life of crime.

As I read the news report, there is evidence that they had already committed two separate burglaries in the neighborhood prior to being stopped. I think they had already chosen their path.

That's close to us, glad I just installed my alarm, but I think the alarm sign alone deters most. :boxing2:

would I want to break in a home with an alarm sign or without one?

I think that home Sales may be affected by these recent break ins,
so maybe the Morses need to get involved on stepping up the number of Community watch patrols.

Do they pay attention to this issue?

!!!:bigbow:

jblum: Unfortunately statistics show that young males that steal property have substantially a higher rate of recidivism that a person who commits murder out of passion. Makes sense. the person who commits murder out of passion are not really career criminal such as the young men committing property crimes. And since the murder will get a long term sentence they are mostly older guys when they get out . counter-intuitive huh

Thanks for keeping an eye out my Fernandina neighbors..

We need more security here in the villages.....We need our own Police Department....To many people coming in and out.. We moved here because we thought it was safe....We need more then just the gates ....any body can use those gates....to come in and out.....

Unfortunately, a community that is truly gated is not immune. Ask people that live in one. If thieves are willing to kick in doors, break windows, etc. to gain entry to what they are after, they will find a way to get into those communities.

We, as Villagers, just need to stay vigilant and continue to watch out for our safety and for those of our neighbors. That is exactly what got these two caught. Thanks, ya'll.:bigbow::bigbow:

Oh my!

I doubt that this arrest will keep them from trying it again. Like the punks who laughed while being jailed for killing sheep, no regard/respect for the law or other people's property. They are so into technology that they can't relate to real humans and reality. They have to make a game out of everything. The parents ripped off their own kids by NOT teaching them. Sorry...just the way I feel.

Meth/Crack heads will do anything to get money for their next fix. Unless they get rehab, they will be in and out of jail their entire life. Unless they can tie them to other crimes, they will be out on the streets again before you know it. I'm with Jimbo, install an alarm system, and get your Fl. CCP.

What if they shoot you first in an exchange???

Is it worth it?

I would not want to be put in that position, let them take what they want and leave

Several years ago I saw an example of good security at Century Village in Pembroke Pines, Florida. I went to visit my aunt who was living there at the time. When I got to the entrance I was asked why I was there. I told them I was there to visit my aunt. So the person at the gate got on the phone and called my aunt to verify that she was due to have a visitor. Then they let me in. It was a large development with private roads.

That will never happen in The Villages because all the roads are public and anyone can drive through. Furthermore, we are known to surrounding areas as being a "rich community" with lots of good stuff for enterprising burglars.

The vigilance of watching out for each other will solve the burglaries. The sheriff's dept and community watch cannot be everywhere at once.

Sometimes we end up in positions we don't want to be in ... so then the question is what's the best thing to do? Intruders willing to break into an occupied house at night, at great risk, are probably willing to shoot whoever they encounter anyway.

Yes, Count me in as a dead hero.

Then why did you have an alarm system installed?

Well to deter them to some degree, but some are sharp enough to bypass it.

the other reason is to send them to an easier target w/o alarm

also to protect my dog from harm :shrug:

Oh Kitty, one does have to love you. ;)

VillagesPl you are spot on. People do not realize that because we are a CDD run community we cannot have policing powers (police department) and why we have to rely on county Law enforcement officials.
Apparently some residents don't understand that we have a unique form of government here that creates a number of benefits but also flaws. The Developer like all such builders will only do the minimum because their motive isn't altruistic by economics. So in order to have the gated community that some of us thought TV was the Developer would have had to install gates, etc at every village entrance which would be both impractical and cost prohibitive. This is why some of us believe that the gates in use now are at least a help in deterring some of the horribles and worth the inconvenience