A video surveillance camera led to the arrest of a theft suspect in Leesburg.
The owner of a house located in the 11600 block of Rancho Drive was checking on the residence at around 10 a.m. March 10 as it was being remodeled. He found that the house had been broken into and damaged.
When a Lake County deputy was dispatched to the house, the owner was able to identify the suspect as 60-year-old Frank Kendle Collins on the home’s surveillance video. The deputy was unable to locate Collins, so the case was transferred to a Lake County sheriff’s detective.
The detective viewed the video and noted in the affidavit of probable that he has known Collins for 20 years.
The video showed Collins cutting several electrical lines in the house and removing a double pull breaker valued at $75 as well as two aluminum support bars worth $300. The victim estimated the damage to the house at $5,000. Collins was also seen on the video picking up several other items as he was leaving the property.
The detective obtained an arrest warrant and Collins was taken into custody Friday by Lake County deputies. He was booked at the Lake County Jail for theft and criminal mischief with bond set at $3,000.
