55.6 F
Leesburg
Friday, March 29, 2024

Jailed Publix burglar charged with breaking into another business

Edward Lee Brown
Edward Lee Brown

A Leesburg man already in jail for breaking into a Publix store had additional charges added after he was identified as a suspect in a burglary at another Leesburg business in October.

Edward Lee Brown, 61, was charged with burglary of a dwelling or structure causing more than $1,000 and petit theft / breaking and entering.

On Oct. 24, a Leesburg police officer responded to the Sunniland Corporation, 507 N. 14th St. Unit 3, after the manager received a call the previous day from ADT Security Systems saying an alarm had been activated. The manager reviewed the security cameras remotely and could see a person walking through the building, which was not open to the public at that time.

The suspect – later identified as Brown – had entered the building by cutting and prying open the steel siding using two pieces of scrap metal that were found next to the opening. Once inside, Brown looked through most of the drawers but was unable to find anything of major value. The only items he took were some pastries from the employee break room valued at $5. The cost of damage to the building wall was estimated at $2,500, according to the police report.

After reviewing the video on Nov. 30, an officer believed the suspect was Brown, who had been accused of several burglaries during the same time period. On Dec. 5, the officer spoke with Brown’s mother and sister at their residence and showed them the video. They identified the suspect as Brown. His mother told the officer Brown has a drug problem and she hoped he would get help for it from the court system, the report said.

Brown has been in the Lake County Jail since Nov. 12, after he reportedly tried to steal $528.75 worth of cigarettes after breaking into the Publix at Palm Plaza. He had unrelated burglary charges added on Nov. 21 before the latest incident.

Brown’s total bond for all three arrests sits at $46,500, and he’s scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on the most recent charges on Jan. 3.

Most Popular

More articles

Hit-and-run suspect takes out crepe myrtle on trip to have cat neutered

A hit-and-run suspect took out a crepe myrtle tree while she was driving to have a cat neutered.

Boy on bicycle trail beaten and robbed by four teenagers

A boy on a bicycle trail was beaten and robbed of his iPhone by four teens in Lake County.

Leesburg, Florida Sign

Follow Us

13,039FansLike
145FollowersFollow
168FollowersFollow