14 Arrested in 60-Day Auto Theft Spree

HILLSBORUGH COUNTY, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of 14 people connected with a rash of auto thefts in the southern part of the county over the past 60 days. The cases also serve as a cautionary tale for motorists who wish to avoid becoming victims themselves, according to the agency.

In an email to media sent Friday morning, the sheriff’s office explained its detectives have investigated 46 vehicle thefts in the southern part of the county between September and November. In the 60-day period, 41 of the 46 vehicles stolen were ultimately recovered in the south part of the county, the email noted.

Areas targeted by the thieves included subdivisions throughout south county. Businesses along Bloomingdale Avenue were also hit pretty hard, the email noted.

“The majority of the vehicle thefts occurred during nighttime residential burglary sprees, referred to as ‘car hopping,’” the email explained. “During these incidents, juveniles walked down a residential street and attempted to open car doors. Once inside the vehicle, the juveniles stole a range of items and, if the keys were in the vehicle, the vehicle itself.”

As it turned out, all 46 of the vehicles that were stolen had been left unlocked, the sheriff’s office said. Forty-two of the vehicles had their keys left inside. In the four cases where the keys were not inside the vehicles that were ultimately stolen, deputies say the correct keys happened to be sitting inside another vehicle parked in the same driveway.

In addition to the vehicles, deputies say four firearms were stolen during the spree. All four were recovered when arrests were made.

People charged during the course of the investigation include:

Michael Edward Morton, 33 of Tampa

• Charges: Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (x2), Grand Theft Third Degree (x2), Dealing in Stolen Property, False Information on Secondary Metals Recycling Form

Mark Joseph Denney, 33, of Riverview

• Charges: Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (x3), Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance (x3)

Guy William White, 46, of Riverview

• Charges: Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (x3), Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance (x3), Grand Theft Third Degree, Grand Theft Second Degree, Petit Theft

Corey Matthew Crews, 30, address unknown

• Charges: Grand theft auto

David Leroy Edwards, 18, of Riverview

• Charges: Grand Theft Motor Vehicle

The remaining nine people arrested are juveniles whose names Patch is not releasing due to their ages.

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