Cops Corner: Holly Hill man arrested after stealing over $4,000 in items from gymnastics studio

This week in Cops Corner...


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Oct. 17

Falling out of favor

8 a.m. — 400 block of South Nova Road, Ormond Beach

Burglary of a structure. No good deed goes unpunished? Police report that a 27-year-old Holly Hill man stole over $4,000 from a local gymnastics studio after the building owner allowed him to stay in a mobile home at the back of the property.

According to a police report, the property owner had recently befriended a homeless couple and gave them permission to come and go from the building, but that there was "an understanding that they were not to interfere with the gymnastics area." However, on the morning of Oct. 17, the gymnastics studio owner spotted the man loading various items into the back of a minivan. He was also holding a backpack with her business' logo. She confronted him about it, and the man said the building owner had given him permission to use the backpack if he needed it. 

She then inventoried her studio and noticed several items missing, including an Apple iWatch, iPhone, cheer shoes and approximately $800 in cash. Her business' square device was also stolen. 

Police spoke with the building owner, who denied giving the man a key to the building, but said he allowed him to access the building to perform maintenance work and use the restroom. The owner was in denial and disbelief that the man would steal from the studio, and alleged internal theft, according to the police report.

During the course of the investigation, police officers discovered the man had given the building owner a false name, and that on Oct. 20, the man had been arrested for auto theft in Holly Hill. Police were able to speak with the man, and while he initially denied any knowledge or involvement in the burglary, he later admitted to the thefts. The man had also written the building owner's personal identification information, including his social security number and drivers license number, in a notebook. He also had a blank check belonging to the building owner. 

Oct. 21

Sign wanted

3:30 p.m. — 800 block of Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach

Larceny. While on routine patrol, an officer was checking all of the areas where the city had placed special event signs for the Trucktoberfest event.

However, during his check, he noticed one sign was missing. The officer spoke with the resident whose yard the city had placed the sign on, and she said she hadn't seen anyone take the sign, nor did she notice the city had placed it in her yard. The officer checked the area but was unable to find the sign. 

The sign was valued at $75.

 

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