- April 17, 2024
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The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office responded to a house on Radial Place in Palm Coast on May 7 after reports of a residential burglary.
After being out of town for the day, the three residents of the home returned to find that televisions, a sound bar and pain medications were missing. Jewelry was also missing from a jewelry box. The means of entry appeared to be a broken bedroom window.
One victim was able to identify two friends who were aware of the home being vacant for the day, one of whom persistently texted the victim asking when they would be back home.
Contact was made with that individual, 30-year-old James Joseph Lacertosa, who denied being at the house on Radial Place that day and denied having anything to do with the burglary.
Detectives were able to identify a sale made by Lacertosa at Leah’s Pawn of a 32-inch Vizio television the same day as the residential burglary.
The victim accompanied deputies to the pawn shop and confirmed that the TV that was pawned was his stolen property. The remaining stolen property has not been located.
“Here is a guy who will steal from anyone, even his friends, to feed his drug habit,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “This is the worst kind of friend to have. I hope the courts hold him accountable and that he gets help for his drug addiction.”
A charging affidavit was signed for the arrest of Lacertosa for the charges of burglary of a dwelling during a state of emergency, dealing in stolen property, false verification of ownership, grand theft, and criminal mischief.
He was arrested May 13 by the Problem Area Crime Enforcement Unit and is being held at the county jail on a $62,500 bond.
Lacertosa has a previous arrest history in Flagler County for shoplifting, grand theft, violation of probation, failure to pay child support, driving with a suspended license, and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.
