A woman was enjoying lunch at Wolfy’s restaurant in Leesburg when a waitress pointed out to the diner that her blue Hyundai SUV was burglarized.
The victim went outside and checked her vehicle on Wednesday, but she did not initially notice any missing items. She would later contact the Leesburg Police Department and notify them of a green Instacart card and a debit Mastercard that were missing from the cup holder of her vehicle, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Across the street in the Gateway Plaza Parking lot, 39-year-old Christopher Brandon Purvis was being watched by a witness from the restaurant. The witness was leaving Wolfy’s when he saw Purvis searching inside the Hyundai. Purvis noticed him and placed items in his pants and slammed the door to the vehicle before running toward the plaza, the report said.
The witness called the Leesburg Police Department around 1:19 p.m. and followed Purvis at a safe distance until police arrived, the report said. Dispatch stayed on the line and was updated by the witness the entire time. He watched Purvis throw something in a trashcan in front of Bealls, before entering the store. The witness waited and saw Purvis leave the store a short time later.
Officers quickly located Purvis at the plaza and put him in custody. Purvis denied being inside the Hyundai but said he was instead behind the restaurant in a gray pickup truck. He was then informed that the witness had seen him in the Hyundai and identified him as the suspect, the report said.
Purvis was arrested and charged with burglary of unoccupied auto or other conveyance. He was transported to the Lake County jail after completing the booking process. Bond was set at $5,000.
