A pair of Orlando, Florida residents returned home at 1:00
p.m. Monday to find two men fleeing from inside their home. The men and a
getaway driver were apparently in the midst of burglarizing the home when the
homeowners returned unexpectedly.
Jumping into the waiting car, the three criminals sped away
as residents called police. One of the residents got close enough to see and
remember the vehicle’s license plate number, which she relayed to authorities.
The three men didn’t get far, crashing their getaway vehicle
into a tree just one mile from the scene of the crime. Police responded quickly
to the accident location and apprehended two of the men on site. The third is
still at large.
The homeowner was able to identify one of the two men as the
getaway driver and the other as one of the culprits who ran from inside the
house. Angel Tomlin and Darius Wright, both 20, now face charges of burglary
and grand theft.
Police recovered some of the stolen property inside the
vehicle as well as a Beretta 926 handgun. Still missing is a Glock pistol
stolen from the home.
Brazen midday burglaries are not unusual in Orlando.
Criminals often expect homes to be unoccupied during the day while residents
are at work. Without a home alarm system, that leaves little to prevent thieves from breaking in and
taking their time stealing the most valuable property.
A recent Orlando crime survey revealed that nearly half of the city’s residents have been
directly or indirectly affected by burglary. The study, commissioned by Crime Prevention Security Systems, also showed
nearly one-fourth or Orlando residents feel crime in their neighborhoods has
increased over the past 12 months.
