SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A man was arrested last week on the accusation that he acted as a getaway driver during a home burglary in Sanford, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
In an arrest report, deputies said they responded to a home along Islewood Court around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 after an alarm went off at the property.
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Around that same time, another deputy was already near the home and spotted an SUV near the property, the report states.
According to investigators, there’s been a recent trend of burglaries in the area, so the deputy thought that the vehicle was “suspicious” and kept an eye on it.
However, the vehicle fled from the scene after spotting law enforcement, deputies said.
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The report says that the driver — Erik Gonzalez Ossa, 19 — ran a nearby stop sign, so the deputy pulled him over.
During the traffic stop, the deputy found that Ossa had no driver’s license, though he was identified thanks to his Chilean passport, the report adds.
Investigators said they found heroin on Ossa’s property, and he was in possession of a Chilean ID card that belonged to another person.
In addition, deputies said they found receipts on Ossa for a flashlight and an escape-tool keychain, often called a “window puncher.”
Detectives said that both tools were used during the burglary, and the receipt showed that the tools were purchased 39 minutes before the burglary.
Surveillance footage of the incident showed that two suspects dressed in hoodies and face masks broke into the home, taking several pieces of jewelry and accessories before fleeing toward Ossa’s vehicle, the report says. In all, the items were valued at over $20,000.
According to detectives, Ossa was also dressed in “identical clothing” to the suspects in the video, leading investigators to believe that he was the getaway driver.
The report also says that the burglary matched several other cases throughout the past couple of years.
“Over the course of two years, I have investigated specific residential burglaries within Seminole County. The modus operandi is as follows: The victims typically live in affluent neighborhoods where their residence is close to a tree line. The suspects typically force entry through the rear of the residence using a device between the hours of 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. while the victims are not home. The suspects specifically target the master bedroom and master closet in search of jewelry, safes and money. The suspects park their vehicles within close proximity to the residence for an expedited departure. All of which were exemplified during the course of this incident.”
SCSO Arrest Report
Ossa faces charges of burglary, grand theft, heroin possession, smuggling contraband into a detention facility, impersonation and having no valid driver’s license. He is held on an immigration detainer.
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