INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 26-year-old man who confessed to breaking into a convenience store in the early morning hours of Sunday told authorities that he stole cartons of cigarettes to “satisfy his craving for nicotine.”
The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office responded to an alarm at the E-Z Stop Food Mart at the 2000 block of S. US 1 around 3 a.m. and found the front window smashed with a piece of concrete. A K-9 unit was called to the scene to help track the burglar, who was later found walking toward a deputy in the area, bleeding from his left arm from cuts that appeared consistent with someone reaching through a broken glass pane to unlock a door, authorities said.
The Sheriff’s Office arrested Michael Keirn, of the 1900 block of Sunset Drive SW, south of Vero Beach. Keirn faces charges of burglary of a structure, criminal mischief and petit theft in connection to the convenience store break-in.
Keirn was also charged with retail theft after a Publix manager told authorities that he had tried to leave the store with more than $100 worth of unpaid for food the day before.
Keirn told investigators that he had attempted to steal the food for his children, his arrest report states.
He is being held at the county jail in lieu of $13,500 bail.
In the convenience store case, Keirn told authorities that he buried the cartons of cigarettes he stole in the woods nearby and then led investigators to the spot so they could recover the items.
Along with stealing three 305 menthol 100 cigarette cartons and six packs of Newport cigarettes, Keirn is also accused of taking 10 2-ounce bottles of 5-Hour Energy. In all, authorities say Keirn stole nearly $200 worth of merchandise from the store.
