- April 26, 2024
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Two men who worked together in a distraction theft at a grocery story in Palm Coast are thought to be part theft crimes across the United States.
The two men and their vehicle were identified through security camera footage after having stolen a women's phone and wallet from her purse while one man distracted her; this occurred on Oct. 29, according to an arrest report. The vehicle was later stopped in Georgia on Oct. 31, and Flagler County Sheriff Office detectives were able to identify the men through information gained at the traffic stop.
One of the men was arrested in Maryland on Nov. 6 by Maryland State Police, a press release from FCSO said. FCSO is working with Maryland to extradite the man back to Flagler County.
“Strong investigative work by our Detectives and Real Time Crime Center, along with assistance from several local, state, and federal agencies, resulted in the quick arrest of one of the suspects and an end to his crime spree,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said.
The men had several aliases, but were identified by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as foreign nationals who had entered the country from Chile, according to the arrest report and press release. The men are also suspects in theft and fraud cases in Sarasota and Manatee Counties in Florida, and are tied to cases in Wisconsin, California and Nebraska, as well, the arrest report said.
The Palm Coast women's phone was found in a parking lot trash can later the same day, according to the arrest report — the men had entered another store and attempted to purchase $1,600 in gifts cards and small merchandise. They were unable to because of the pre-set $1,000 limit on the credit cards.
