ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — A late-night visit through the ceiling of a closed Dollar General store didn't end well for a burglar who was caught running out the back door as a deputy and his K-9 partner came in the front, said Volusia County Sheriff Office officials.
The burglary suspect, Jonathan Sorrels, 31, was arrested on several charges, including burglary with property damage, possession of burglary tools, knowingly giving false information to a law enforcement officer and petit theft.
A deputy was flagged down after a group of bar patrons said they heard the screams of a 13-year-old girl, who was standing outside the Dollar General on Ocean Shore Boulevard in Ormond Beach when she saw a leg dangling from the ceiling.
Investigators said as a deputy and his K-9 entered the front door, a deputy posted at the back watched as the rear door burst open and Sorrels came running at him. The deputy quickly apprehended Sorrels, authorities said.
Deputies said that Sorrels repeatedly yelled, "I don't know what’s going on!" as he was taken into custody.
Deputies said that Sorrels told them he'd been at the neighboring bar earlier and started feeling sick. Authorities said Sorrels then walked into the Dollar General while it was still open to buy a bottle of water, but he passed out in the bathroom. Sorrels told deputies that when he woke up, the business was closed.
However, according to deputies, surveillance video told a different story. The camera recorded Sorrels falling through the store's ceiling and onto a desk in the manager's office. From there, Sorrels went to the alarm system box and started pulling wires from it. The video also shows that he went into another part of the store, where he was seen wearing gloves.
Sorrels also had an open Orange County warrant for violation of probation. He was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail.
Authorities have not released the surveillance video.
WFTV
