Two men believed to be involved in multiple vehicular burglaries have been arrested.
Port St. Lucie police nabbed one suspect in late April and another in early May.
Robert Agri of Port St. Lucie and Matthew Thurston Maxwell of Boca Raton were arrested in separate and unrelated vehicle burglaries.
The common link between the two suspects, though, was the nature of the targeted vehicles, according to police. In several of the burglaries, the vehicles were left unlocked. Port St. Lucie police continue to remind residents to lock their vehicles and remove any valuables from sight.
Agri, 18, of 1002 SW Eureka Ave. in the Oak Hammock neighborhood, faces three charges of auto burglary and one charge of attempted auto burglary. The four charges are connected to burglaries reported between April 30 and May 1.
Police responded to Oak Hammock for a report of an auto burglary in progress. The victim heard his car door slam and he went out to investigate, seeing a tall male leaving his driveway and heading toward another, according to police.
The victim confronted the suspect – later identified as Agri – who told the victim he was merely talking on his cellphone, and then fled the area. Police located Agri, who matched the description the victim gave.
While interviewing Agri, detectives determined two vehicles had been burglarized in the 1000 block of SW Consolata Ave. on April 30 and another in the 2600 block of SW Ace Road on May 1, all within Oak Hammock.
Items reported stolen from the vehicles included prescription medication, a folding knife, and an mp3 player.
Agri is currently being held at the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of $33,750 bail.
The previous week, on April 26, police arrested Maxwell, 26, on five counts of auto burglary. He also faces a charge of petit theft and of marijuana possession. He is suspected of burglarizing vehicles in the 2100 block of SE Aneci Street, 400 block of SE Dalva Avenue, and 400 block of SE Evans Avenue, all in the Riverview neighborhood.
Video surveillance from a Ring (doorbell/security) camera captured footage of a suspect who was later identified as Maxwell approaching a SE Dalva Avenue victim’s home. The man knocked on the door after trying to open it. Prior to the SE Dalva Avenue attempt, Maxwell is believed to have burglarized and stolen property from a vehicle on SE Evans Avenue. When authorities made contact with Maxwell, he was found in possession of the items reported stolen from the SE Evans vehicle.
Police also believe Maxwell burglarized two vehicles on SE Aneci Street. According to authorities, he left behind stolen property from the first vehicle at the scene of the second. Maxwell is currently being held at the St. Lucie County Jail in lieu of $212,750 bail.