The Plant City Police Department (PCPD) is asking the public for help identifying a male suspect captured on video breaking into a parked vehicle.
The PCPD released a video, captured on Sept. 16 at approximately 1 p.m. by a witness sitting in their vehicle in the Strawberry Hill Plaza, on their Facebook page of the man they say is a suspect. The witness watched the man, who was wearing a black Nike baseball hat, grey Under Armour hooded shirt, dark pants, black sneakers and gloves, break the left rear window of a grey pick-up truck. The witness then began filming the incident on their cellphone as the man entered the vehicle through the broken window and emerge a few moments later carrying a yellow envelope containing money in his right hand. Walking away from the vehicle, the video shows the man switching the envelope to underneath his left arm. He was seen leaving the area in a silver Honda Pilot SUV bearing Florida tag B5D-NZF.
According to police, prior to arriving at the plaza, the victim withdrew money from a local bank and may have been followed to the plaza by the suspect. After the victim arrived at the plaza, leaving the vehicle in the parking lot, the male suspect broke the rear passenger window, entered the vehicle and located the envelope which contained the money.
Police say this incident may have been a “jugging” incident, an increasingly popular form of robbery committed by criminals. A jugging takes place when a criminal will watch and follow a victim as they depart from a banking institution, ATM machine, check cashing location or other location after having withdrawn a sum of money. Once the victim leaves, the criminal follows the victim to their next location, where they can be threatened or assaulted. The suspect then demands or takes the money from the victim or may wait for the victim to leave the vehicle before burglarizing the vehicle and taking the money.
“We are thankful the witness came forward to provide this lead,” said PCPD Chief James Bradford. “We hope a sharp-eyed tipster will recognize this suspect and call the police.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Manuel Diaz at (813)757-9200. Tips can also be sent using the Crimestoppers program by going to www.crimestopperstb.com or calling 1800-873-TIPS. Anonymous tipsters who contact Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay who give information which law enforcement confirms it led directly to the arrest of an adult or juvenile will be eligible for a cash reward of up to $5,000.