Man arrested after breaking into truck

A 50-year-old man was arrested Saturday on multiple vehicle burglary-related charges after Sheriff Office Deputies used a mobile tracking app to find him on U.S. 1.

Juan Saturnino Avila Lopez, formerly of Key West, was charged with grand theft, burglary, larceny and possession of burglary tools and property damage.

Upper Keys Deputy Jacques Rozek responded Saturday morning to a gym parking lot on the 91000 block of the Overseas Highway in Tavernier regarding a vehicle burglary. A man and his wife reported their pickup truck’s passenger window had been smashed the woman’s purse taken. Her phone, credit cards, $140 in cash and other assorted items were in the purse.  The husband said his wife’s iPhone 6 was still on and he was tracking it with the “Find My iPhone” app. Deputy Rozek called Sgt. James Hager and told him the phone was stationary at a nearby gas station. Shortly thereafter, the iPhone began moving northbound on U.S. 1. Sgt. Hager gave chase an kept in contact with Deputy Rozek. Eventually, Sgt. James Hager stopped a vehicle using the information being relayed to him by Deputy Rozek regarding the iPhone’s location.

The vehicle Sgt. Hager stopped was being driven by a man later identified as Avila Lopez. Sgt. Hager radioed Deputy Rozek and asked for the husband to call his wife’s phone. Sgt. Hager then heard a phone ringing. Sgt. Hager detained Avila Lopez at that time. Sgt. Hager asked for a description of other stolen items. Sgt. Hager radioed Deputy Rozek and told him he found the purse. The woman was able to recover all the stolen items.

Avila Lopez admitted to stealing the purse.

Avila Lopez was taken to jail.

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