BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Three men were behind bars Tuesday after Brevard County detectives caught them red-handed on surveillance cameras ripping off an elderly man. Deputies set up the hidden cameras after thieves targeted the 87-year-old homeowner in July.
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WFTV spoke with the victim, who did not want to be identified because he fears for his safety. He said he's glad the sheriff's office is now watching his home and property 24 hours a day.
Surveillance video set up by deputies inside the victim's Cocoa residence caught the three men walking through the home on Monday morning. The suspects had no idea they were on video that was being monitored by deputies.
"They think this is the right thing to do, because they can get away with it," the victim's neighbor, Rob Adams, said.
Even more disturbing is that police know the three men and say they've burglarized other homes in the area.
"Our justice system has a revolving door. They go in, come right back out and they're back on the street doing the same thing," Adams said.
Monday morning, detectives were shocked to see the crime in progress and they arrived just in time to find the men forcing the 87-year-old into his car to go empty out his bank account.
"One was in the car when we converged on the residence with the victim and they were gonna drive to the bank and make him get money out before they would release him," said Sgt. David Marich, Brevard County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies arrested Christopher Comella, Anthony Millar and Matthew Zachas. The three have been charged with home invasion and kidnapping.
"This is a group known in the PSJ community as burglars. They have extensive criminal histories. In this case, they just took advantage of his age," Sgt. Marich said.
The cameras were installed after a man and woman pretended to be police officers and tried to make the victim pay for some kind of protection. They said one of the three arrested Monday was involved in that plot, but they're still looking for the woman.