INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A Fellsmere man was arrested after surveillance video from the Vero Beach Walmart led police to believe him to be a suspect in multiple auto burglary cases and a GoLine bus video confirmed his identity, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities arrested Jose Guadalupe Cantu III, 23, of 7735 County Road 512, Fellsmere, on Nov. 14, after investigating two would-be auto thefts from the Vero Beach Walmart’s parking lot from Nov. 5.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, on Nov. 5, Cantu was seen on the store’s surveillance videos with another person – later determined to be a juvenile – walking around the parking lot between cars with a pair of pliers and set of screwdrivers, which had been stolen from Walmart.
That day, there were two reported auto burglaries in the parking lot, in which the door locks had been forced open and the ignition damaged in an apparent attempt to start the vehicles, according to a report released by the Sheriff’s Office.
Cantu and the juvenile were seen on the video leaving Walmart on a GoLine bus, which was later determined to have dropped them off in Fellsmere.
Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Karman met with an officer from the Fellsmere Police Department who had dealt with Cantu that same evening on a trespassing case. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Fellsmere police photographed Cantu that night wearing the same shirt he had on when he left Walmart on the GoLine bus.
Cantu was arrested and faces multiple charges, including two felony charges each of grand theft auto and auto burglary, two misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief, and one misdemeanor charge of shoplifting.
He is being held at the county jail in lieu of $27,500 bond.