Two brothers were arrested Friday in connection to 39 car burglaries in Haile Plantation and Blues Creek, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police said.
Elijah Anthony Simmons, 19, and his 16-year-old brother, Joseph Simmons, drove a white Dodge Dakota to Haile Plantation late last month, stealing from 29 unlocked cars between Jan. 25 and 27, according to an arrest report.
They drove to Blues Creek on Jan. 25 and stole from 10 cars.
Wes Corbett, a Blues Creek resident, said a Navajo ceremonial woman’s pipe worth about $225, a gym bag, a green backpack with a stone collection and about $10 in change was stolen from his white Honda Pilot.
He said he hasn’t been given back any of his belongings, but he knows his gym bag was recovered by police.
“I felt upset I didn’t lock my car,” he said. “Now I do.”
Someone who knew the brothers called police and said they were driving toward West Newberry Road on Jan. 27, according to the report. Deputies stopped the truck and found some of the stolen items, including Bluetooth speakers, glasses and a lottery ticket.
Police also found marijuana in Elijah Simmons’ possession and two guns in the truck, according to the report. He told police that one of the guns was his and the other he took from a car.
Witnesses of the burglaries told police they saw two hooded men driving in a loud, white truck, according to the report.
GPD said the two would toss the items they didn’t want on the ground or in the next car they robbed, according to the report.
Elijah Simmons was arrested on charges of petty theft, unarmed burglary, drug possession and carrying a concealed firearm. Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail, where he remains as of press time in lieu of a $101,000 bond.
Joseph Simmons was arrested and taken to the Alachua Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
Contact Meryl Kornfield at mkornfield@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @MerylKornfield
Elijah Anthony Simmons
