Vehicle burglar caught thanks to Lariz’s quick work

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Thanks to an observant deputy working at Fantasy Fest, a man is in custody for vehicle burglaries in Key Haven and on Lower Sugarloaf Key.

According Monroe County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Becky Herrin, Deputy David Lariz had seen video of the burglary suspect and the suspect’s vehicle, circulated in a notice to be on the lookout to all deputies county-wide. Detectives working on the case had identified the vehicle in the video as an Infiniti with a vanity plate of some sort on the front and a sunroof. In the video, the general size, build and appearance of the suspect could also be seen clearly.

Lariz was working at Fantasy Fest Saturday afternoon at the corner of Greene and Simonton Streets when he spotted a car matching the suspect vehicle. The driver was also similar in appearance and build to the suspect in the video. He stopped the car and asked the driver for his identification.

A check on the record of the driver, Kenneth Hathaway, 23, from Virginia, showed he is wanted in that state for burglary and grand theft. He gave Lariz a military dependent identification and claimed to be staying on base at the Fly Navy building. A check with Navy authorities revealed he was not staying there. He gave other inconsistent information as he was being questioned

Detectives David Brummer and Diane Mimosa responded and Hathaway was confronted with the existence of video showing him and his car at several burglary scenes. He told detectives he had burglarized cars in Key Haven and on Lower Sugarloaf Key. He said he was looking mainly for cash, but took other items as well.

He said he got caught breaking into one vehicle on Sugarloaf. He said after that he was afraid he’d get caught so he threw all the items he stole into the mangroves.

Hathaway was arrested and charged with a total of 5 counts of burglary of a vehicle and two counts of theft. Detectives are continuing to investigate and he may face more charges in the future.

 

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