Key West The Newspaper

Stock Island man charged with burglary

A Stock Island man was arrested late Friday, June 30, charged with burglarizing a home on Azalea Street in the Key Haven neighborhood of Stock Island.

The victims called the Sheriff’s Office just before 11 p.m. They told dispatchers they were out of town, but had seen someone in their house on their video surveillance system. They said no one had permission to be in their house while they were gone.

Deputies Jenna Moeller, Anthony Lopez and Vince Pacifico arrived to investigate. They searched the area around the home but didn’t find anyone. Deputy Moeller then spoke with the victims, who said they knew the person they saw on the video. They said he was a former employee, 55 year old Warren Reid. They said they saw him on the video stealing a jar of coins from the home. There were other distinctive items in the jar, including a drawstring pouch with green sea glass inside. The victims sent a copy of the video to Deputy Moeller. In the video,  Reid was seen wearing a light colored, shot sleeved button up shirt with fish on it and cargo shorts with a “camo” pattern. He had long hair in a ponytail.

The deputies were able to locate Reid a short time later at a residence on 3rd Avenue, Stock Island. He fit the description of the person in the video, seen inside the victim’s house. At the time they encountered Reid, he was wearing the same clothing as in the video. In his pockets the deputies found loose change and a cloth drawstring pouch with green sea glass inside.

Reid was arrested. He was charged with burglary and theft and he was taken to jail.

Resource violation cases

A Marathon Sheriff’s deputy has been patrolling for resource violations this past holiday weekend.

On Saturday, July 1, Deputy Seth Hopp was on patrol at the south end of the Channel Five Bridge at 7:20 p.m. when he saw two women fishing. He asked to inspect their catch and they agreed. In a cooler and a bucket, he found numerous different types of fish, many of them undersized, including six undersized mangrove snapper, three undersized schoolmaster snapper, four undersized mutton snapper, and one undersized lane snapper. 51 year old Eulia Hill of Perrine, Florida and 45 year old Laura Armstrong of Homestead, Florida were both issued criminal citations for the undersized fish and for having over the limit mangrove snapper and over the aggregate limit for snapper.

On Saturday, July 1, Deputy Hopp was on patrol at the Channel Five Bridge at 8:30 p.m. when he located two men fishing. He inspected their catch, finding a a bag with mutton snapper inside. All of the fish in the bag – six total – were undersized. 55 year old William Ortiz of Miami Gardens, Florida and 38 year old William Ortiz, Jr. of Homestead, Florida were both issued criminal citations for the violations.

On Sunday, July 2, just before 11 p.m., Deputy Hopp was on patrol at the Channel Five Bridge when he encountered a man fishing. He asked to inspect the man’s catch and the man agreed. Inside a cooler, the man had a number of fish that were undersized, including two undersized mutton snapper and one undersized yellowtail snapper. 38 year old Jose Fonseca Perez of Miami was issued criminal citations for the violations.

Man charged with street racing, reckless driving

A 22 year old man from Eustis, Florida was arrested Sunday July 2,  for street racing and reckless driving.

Deputy Shaun Lones was on patrol at the 54 mile marker of the highway in Marathon just after 9 p.m. when he heard engines revving and saw two vehicles traveling northbound through the intersection of Coco Plum Road and Highway U.S. One at a high rate of speed. The lead vehicle was an older model Ford Focus traveling an estimated 80 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone.

Deputy Lones could see the tail lights of the vehicle as it continued northbound, weaving in and out of traffic. He followed the vehicle, stopping it at the 56.5 mile marker of the highway.

Inside the vehicle was driver Beau Baumann. The deputy asked Baumann why he was racing the other vehicle. Baumann said he did not have a good reason except it “was a beautiful night”.

Baumann was charged with racing on a highway and with reckless driving. He was arrested and taken to jail. The other vehicle involved in the racing was not located.