NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — The New Smyrna Beach Police Department apprehended two individuals, a 22-year-old man and a juvenile, after a series of vehicle break-ins in the Coastal Woods area.
The investigation started when a resident observed suspicious activity on their home surveillance and contacted law enforcement. This “See Something, Say Something” report prompted officers to survey the area for more incidents and possible suspects.
During the canvass, New Smyrna Beach Police Detective Hansen observed someone inside a vehicle on the 2700 block of Neverland Drive. When the person noticed the detective, they ran away on foot, jumped a fence, and headed into a wooded area between Neverland Drive and I-95.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office, including the Air One aviation unit and the Edgewater Police Department, assisted in the search.
Officers eventually located and apprehended two of the three involved individuals in the woods. Police recovered a firearm inside a backpack belonging to one of the suspects.
Lorenzo McDonald, 22, was detained and is facing multiple charges. These include four counts of armed burglary, loitering and prowling, possession of a weapon by an in-state felon, contributing to delinquency of a minor, and possession of burglary tools.
A juvenile male was also detained in connection with the incident. He is charged with four counts of burglary and one count of loitering and prowling.
Police are investigating a series of vehicle burglaries that occurred overnight, impacting multiple neighborhoods in recent months. According to the New Smyrna Beach Police Department, almost all of these incidents involved vehicles that were left unlocked.
Investigators stated the arrests are a step toward identifying the group responsible and disrupting the pattern of burglaries in the community.
The investigation into the burglary series remains ongoing.
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