Three Charged with Burglary of a Conveyance, Petit Theft
Three individuals have been arrested for burglary of a conveyance and petit theft. According to police, deputies received reports of several individuals attempting to open car doors. When deputies arrived at the scene, they located several individuals nearby. Deputies recorded the individuals’ names, and they were released pending an investigation. Authorities say that later in the morning, they received several complaints that vehicles had been broken into and property was missing. Deputies searched for the individuals that they found around the cars. According to reports, a juvenile admitted to being one of the individuals who was opening car doors the night before and identified three other individuals who were there at the scene. Investigators searched the suspects’ homes and found several of the items that were reported stolen.
As a result, three individuals have been charged with burglary to a conveyance and petit theft. At the time of the crimes, the suspects were wearing masks which makes burglary of a conveyance a second-degree (as opposed to a third-degree) felony.
Burglary to a conveyance in Florida
Burglary is defined under Florida Statutes § 810.02. It is defined as the unlawful access of a dwelling, structure, or conveyance with the intent to commit a crime. Yes, a vehicle is considered a conveyance under the law. So you can burglarize a car.
Burglary can be charged as either a third-, second-, or first-degree felony depending on the nature of the crime. Burglary is defined as a first-degree felony when the suspect uses a deadly weapon in the furtherance of their crime or commits an assault on someone in the furtherance of their crime. An individual can face a life sentence on a charge of burglary in the first degree.
Burglary is considered a second-degree felony if the suspect is wearing a mask at the time of the offense. A second-degree felony is punishable by up to 15 years in state prison. A burglary can also be charged as a second-degree felony if there is another individual inside the residence, structure, or conveyance at the time of the burglary.
If the offender isn’t armed, doesn’t assault anyone, and there is no one in the dwelling, structure, or conveyance at the time of the burglary, then burglary is charged as a third-degree felony. A third-degree felony is punishable by up to 5 years in state prison.
Petit theft in Florida
An individual can be charged with petit theft if they unlawfully take property that does not belong to them and that property is valued at less than $750. In this case, the defendants were found in possession of stolen property that was identified by victims as having come from their cars. They will face charges of both petit theft and burglary to a conveyance.
Talk to a Tallahassee, FL Criminal Defense Attorney Today
The Tallahassee criminal lawyers at Luke Newman, P.A. represent the interests of defendants who have been charged with various theft or burglary crimes. Call our office today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your defense options right away.
Source:
wdhn.com/news/crime/three-arrested-on-burglary-jcso/
