A man and woman were arrested Friday afternoon for allegedly committing a string of car burglaries around Alachua County in late April.
The arresting officer identified the suspects as Brandon Driggers, 25, and Taylor Shockey, 23, according to the report from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
The first reported incident was April 20 in Gainesville. According to the report, the victim was inside a Cracker Barrel Old Country Store on Southwest 43rd Street when her car was broken into.
The rear passenger window of the car was broken, and a $30 pioneer lunch box was stolen. The window damage was valued at $250.
Video surveillance clearly shows a red four-door car with a gray front left quarter panel park nearby. Driggers is reportedly seen getting out of the red car and approaching the Kia.
The video doesn’t show him breaking the window but does show him reaching inside and removing something before driving away in the red Chevrolet Impala.
On April 28, a sheriff’s office deputy received two reports of car burglaries at Splitz Bowling Center, located at 1301 NW 76th Blvd. in Gainesville. The deputy reportedly observed two cars parked next to each other with broken passenger windows.
According to the report, nothing was stolen from one of the cars, but several credit cards were stolen from the other. The credit cards were used at multiple places near the location within an hour of the burglary.
Video footage shows a female suspect enter a Walgreens on West Newberry Road and allegedly buying Visa Prepaid Cards. According to the report, the items stolen from the second car were valued at $295. The damage to the broken windows of both cars was valued at $150 each.
During the investigation, the lead detective identified the female suspect as Shockey. Surveillance videos throughout Alachua County also show Driggers using credit cards allegedly stolen from different cars.
Driggers and Shockey were arrested Friday at about 1 p.m. According to the report, Driggers admitted to nothing. Shockey told police she was with Driggers when he broke into several cars and that he used a flathead screwdriver to break the car windows.
Driggers would allegedly take credit cards and use them to buy Visa Prepaid Cards. According to the report, Shockey would then use or sell the gift cards.
A flathead screwdriver was reportedly later found in the driver’s door of the red four-door car identified during the investigation.
Driggers and Shockey are both being held at Alachua County Jail. Driggers’ bond has been set at $240,000, while Shockey’s bond is at $150,000.
Follow Jessica on Twitter @jesscurbelo and contact her at jcurbelo@alligator.org.
