A late-night noise outside a Florida home led police to a vehicle burglary arrest and the recovery of a loaded handgun behind a nearby house.
Sarasota Police said officers were called to the area of South Osprey Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 30, after a resident reported a suspicious person who may have been armed.
The resident told officers he heard noises outside, opened his front door, and saw 18-year-old Jaquez Burrows standing next to his brother’s vehicle with the driver’s-side door open, according to the Sarasota Police Department.
Police said the resident also reported seeing what appeared to be a holster in Burrows’ waistband. Burrows left the area, and the resident went back inside and called 911.
Police Said the Suspect Was Wearing Black Clothing and a Ski Mask
Dispatchers told officers the suspect was wearing black clothing, a ski mask, and riding a black scooter. Officers later spotted a person matching that description near Alta Vista Street and South Orange Avenue.
Sarasota Police said officers set up a perimeter and requested help from Air 1, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office helicopter.
Burrows ran from officers for several minutes before Air 1 tracked him, police said. Officers arrested him near Pomelo Avenue and Alta Vista Street.
Officers Found Glock Magazines but No Gun at First
During a search, officers said they found two empty 13-round Glock handgun magazines in Burrows’ pocket. Police said they did not find a firearm on him at the time.
Officers also recovered a large amount of cash from his pocket, according to the department.
Later that day, around 7:45 p.m., officers conducted a follow-up search of the area. Police said they found a firearm in a holster behind a home near where Burrows had been arrested.
A Loaded Handgun Was Recovered Behind a Home
Police identified the firearm as a Glock Model 23 Gen 4 .40-caliber handgun. The department said officers found 13 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition in the magazine that was inside the gun.
The firearm was collected as evidence and submitted for DNA analysis.
Burrows was arrested on a felony charge of burglary of an unoccupied vehicle and misdemeanor charges of loitering and prowling and resisting an officer without violence. Police said he bonded out of the Sarasota County Jail on Monday, June 1, and was scheduled to return to court for arraignment on June 26.
Lock parked vehicles, remove valuables and firearms from cars, use exterior lighting where possible, and report suspicious activity from inside the home instead of stepping outside to confront someone near a driveway or garage.