WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying suspects in a spate of car burglaries reportedly committed last week in Walton.
According to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), a medic with Walton County Fire Rescue witnessed multiple subjects wearing ski masks burglarizing a vehicle on Leisure Lake Road in DeFuniak Springs on Saturday morning just after 2 a.m.
Reportedly spooked by the ambulance, two suspects are said to have jumped into a silver-colored car. As they sped passed the ambulance, the medic was able to obtain a partial Florida tag number and identified the vehicle as a newer Honda.
A FLOCK alert matching the silver Honda Civic came back stolen out of Crestview, the WCSO said.
The Crestview Police Department was notified, and at 7:30 a.m., the silver Honda was reportedly spotted by officers. Allegedly, the car fled through the city when officers attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle was found abandoned shortly after the attempted stop.
According to the WCSO, throughout the day, multiple burglaries were reported in Walton County, including a stolen vehicle described as a lime green Ford Fiesta with a flat fire. Burglaries are said to have occurred on Commerce Circle, Leisure Lake, Michelangelo Road, and Oakwood Lakes Boulevard in DeFuniak Springs. All vehicles were left unsecured.
Further investigation reportedly revealed the suspects stopped at the Tom Thumb gas station located at Highway 90 and U.S. 331. Outside cameras at the business show both vehicles parking at the gas pumps just before 4 a.m., the WCSO said.
According to the WCSO, a subject matching video footage from one of the vehicle burglaries got out of the driver’s seat of the stolen green Ford at the gas station before paying $10 in cash for gas. He’s described as a black male with a facemask, wearing a black sweatshirt with distinctive coloring on the front, a thin build, skinny jeans, and dark-colored shoes.
A second subject in the stolen Honda never entered the store and was not visible on outside cameras. WCSO deputies collected all video footage at each victim’s residence.
The stolen green Ford was found at an apartment complex in Fort Walton Beach late Saturday evening by the Fort Walton Beach Police Department. No one was found with the vehicle.
The WCSO is asking for the public’s help with any information they may have about these incidents. The photos included with this post are from the car burglaries, the WCSO said. The sweatshirt the burglar is wearing may be recognizable to those who know the individual.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers: at 850-863- 8477. You will remain completely anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward if the information you provide leads to an arrest.
