Trio Of Auto Burglars Taken Down After Hit-And-Run

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — A trio of accused auto burglars from Fort Lauderdale found themselves behind bars Monday after they allegedly ransacked a vehicle in Lutz before getting into a crash on Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes. While all three are accused of bailing out after the collision, Pasco County deputies made short work of bringing them into custody.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called out to the area of Collier Parkway and State Road 54 Monday morning to assist the Florida Highway Patrol. Troopers had reported three men involved in a 9 a.m. April 3 crash involving a Toyota Avalon and a bus had bailed out and fled from the scene on foot.

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The crash, according to the patrol, occurred as the Avalon was traveling south on Collier Parkway, north of Preakness Boulevard. At that time, a bus for Learning Your Function Schools, was stopped southbound on Collier. The bus, a highway patrol report said, had nine students, ages 20 to 57, on board.

The Avalon, driven by Darius Dion Henry, 24, of Fort Lauderdale rear-ended the bus, the highway patrol’s report said. Bus driver, Jaime Lynn Sands, 38, of Wesley Chapel and her passengers were not injured, the patrol said.

After the three men fled the scene, the sheriff’s office got involved in the search. Deputies set up a perimeter to stop the men from leaving the county, a Tuesday morning email from the sheriff’s office said. They were able to quickly locate two of the suspects, but the third remained at large. Deputy Baltzer and K9 Eragon worked with air support, however, and were able to find the man hiding in the pond.

After checking into the backgrounds of the three men, deputies say they learned they all have a history of burglary. Deputies also say the men had stolen a vehicle tag in Dade City before coming to Land O’ Lakes and committing a vehicle burglary at the Discovery Point Daycare. A purse belonging to the victim of the burglary was found in the trio’s possession, the email noted.

“Through our real-time reporting system, we were able to track down a name and phone number to a female who was not aware her minivan had been broken into and her purse taken from inside,” the sheriff’s office email said.

Henry and his two passengers, Cecil Deon Ruffin, 25, and Willie D. Travis Cuyler, 24, now face petty theft, possession of drug and resisting arrest without violence charges levied by the sheriff’s office. Henry was also charged by the highway patrol for leaving the scene of a crash, careless driving and driving on a suspended license.

The sheriff’s office says the crime may be linked to Felony Lane cases. The Felony Lane Gang is “a group of thieves based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that travels across the United States stealing identities and checkbooks from unattended cars,” according to the FBI.

All three men arrested Monday were booked into the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.

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Photos of the search courtesy of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office