VERO BEACH — After a Vero Beach woman returned home from a trip to Lake Worth, she noticed her home had been burglarized. But instead of the TV set, jewelry or other traditional valuables being taken, it was old tax forms that drew the burglar’s attention.
The 59-year-old Flamevine Lane beachside resident told authorities that while talking with her mother about the break-in, her mom said that her brother may have been responsible.
The brother, 55, is suspected of breaking into the home and stealing his deceased father’s 2007 and 2008 income tax returns. Authorities have not issued a warrant for his arrest. For this reason, VeroNews.com has declined to identify him.
The sister told investigators that she checked the dresser where the forms had been kept and discovered that they were missing. She also said that her brother has tried several times to get information from the family’s estate attorney regarding what is in their father’s account and the account’s status.
The sister and mother have power of attorney over the account, not the brother, the sister told authorities.
The woman also said that she hasn’t spoken with her brother in six years because “he is violent and she is afraid of him,” the incident report states.
Investigators lifted a single fingerprint, which has been taken into evidence.
The Vero Beach Police Department has upgraded the case to a residential burglary. The investigation continues.
