A quick phone call from a watchful neighbor in Flagler County helped end a burglary spree this week before the suspect could make a clean getaway.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday along Rockne Lane when a resident noticed someone hauling heavy items along a fence line. The activity seemed out of place, so the resident followed the “see something, say something” protocol and contacted law enforcement.
When Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies arrived to canvass the area, they located 18-year-old Phillip Demaio Jr. of Bunnell. According to deputies, Demaio was spotted tossing objects from the roadway into the nearby woods as they approached.
During a search for weapons, deputies found a pocket knife and a syringe in Demaio’s possession. Field tests revealed the needle on the syringe contained traces of fentanyl. Deputies also recovered a cigarette carton Demaio had placed on a patrol car, which contained a wet cotton ball that tested positive for methamphetamine.
The suspicious items the neighbor had originally spotted turned out to be a haul of stolen equipment. Among the recovered goods were a DeWalt leaf blower, a Makita drill bit set, a Milwaukee hammer, and a large Orca cooler.
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Deputies located a nearby homeowner who confirmed the items had been taken from the bed of their pickup truck. The property was returned to the victim, who elected to press charges.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly credited the arrest to the community’s willingness to get involved.
“This is another great example of ‘see something, say something’ in action,” Staly said. “Thanks to a vigilant citizen and the diligent work of our deputies, this thief is in jail and items he had stolen have been returned to their owners.”
Demaio was arrested and charged with burglary of a conveyance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. He was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later released on a $5,000 bond.
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