[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 08/23/20]
EUSTIS, Florida — A 17-year-old boy just over a month shy of his 18th birthday has been charged with burglary, fraud and theft after allegedly burglarizing a vehicle and using his victim’s child support card to send himself $20 through Cash App.
In late July, a woman spotted a male running from the area where her car was parked at her residence on McDonald Avenue, and found her passenger door and glove box open, but did not think the thief took anything of value, so she did not report it right away, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Later in the day, the victim discovered her identification, child support SMI card and her EBT card were all missing. The woman cancelled her EBT card and when she called to cancel her child support card, she was informed a $20 transaction had been made to the suspect through Cash App. Lake Legal News only identifies juveniles who are a charged with very serious crimes.
Eustis Police questioned the boy and he said he was home at the time of the crime, and he allowed the officer to look at his phone. The EPD officer looked at the boy’s Cash App and found his username matched the $20 fraudulent transaction.
The boy lives less than a half of a mile from the victim and EPD has had “multiple involvements with [the suspect] which most of his involvements are for burglaries, and thefts,” an EPD detective noted in the affidavit.
The boy was picked up by EPD Thursday and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
