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Deputies honored for nabbing alleged Westminster suspects

By Staff | May 6, 2015

Mickey Rosado

Two Lee County deputies working out of the East Zone substation were honored by the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce for their actions and the work of other deputies in helping with the apprehension of two suspects who were charged in several incidents involving the burglarizing of vehicles and residences within the Westminster Golf Club community.

Deputies Mickey Rosado and James Van Pelt were chosen to represent those who helped in the apprehension on April 14.

The other officers included James McDaniel, Jeremy Drake and James Castelli.

The awards were made April 28 during the chamber’s luncheon at the Majestic Golf Club on Homestead Rd. South.

Lt. Mark Mallard said at about 1:26 a.m. April 14, Rosado was flagged down by the security staff of Westminster. The security guard said he was patrolling the area and shined his lights toward a noise and saw two men fleeing the area. Because it was early in the morning, the security guard was not able to give a good description of the two, but said they were wearing dark loose clothing.

James Van Pelt

Rosado passed the information to dispatch and fellow shift partners so they would be made aware of the suspicious activity.

Mallard said that in response to Rosado’s “timely communication,” McDaniel, Drake, Castelli and Van Pelt conducted a concerted search for the two in the area.

Van Pelt discovered two men wearing the clothing matching the description given by the security guard at 1:55 a.m. The two were walking on Gretchen Ave. South when Van Pelt made contact.

Castelli and McDaniel reported to the scene to help and McDaniel found a black wool cap lying on the ground next to one of the suspects and who admitted that it was his.

Both men consented to allow deputies to search their backpacks and their clothing.

MEL TOADVINE Awards were presented to Deputies Mickey Rosado, second from left, and next to him, Deputy James Van Pelt, are at left Capt. Todd Garrison of the East Zone District, and at right, Lt. Mark Mallard, who is second in command at the Lehigh district.

A screwdriver was sound in the pocket of one man’s pants. Castelli located a wallet, which had casino cards with a name on them inside one of the suspect’s book bag and Castelli also located a Bose Wave radio system with remote control inside one of the suspect’s bags.

Mallard said that shortly after 2 a.m., the LCSO received an alarm call at the Dollar General at 701 Gretchen Ave. South, which is approximately 500 feet from where Van Pelt found the two walking.

The alarm company for Dollar General told officials that the alarm was for a burglary in progress, and an alarm company representative was watching video of a man dressed in black, wearing a black wool cap, black pants and black shirt, trying to break the front door glass of the store.

McDaniel, Castelli, Drake, Deputy Adriana Villa and Sgt. John Craven responded to the alarm at the Dollar General but were unable to locate any suspects on the scene, but did make contact with the store manager who had arrived.

He played the surveillance video of the attempted break-in to deputies. The video surveillance footage showed a young man attempting the break-in by breaking the glass of the front door with a large metal pipe. The suspect in the video appeared to be wearing the same clothing worn by one of the suspects, and also matched the other’s facial profile.

The metal pipe in the video was found by McDaniel. It was adjacent to the Dollar General parking lot.

A canine with Deputy Mark Bonora conducted a track search from the store directly to the location of the two suspects.

The man owning the casino cards, who said his car had been broken into, identified them as his.

In the end, the two suspects were given their Miranda rights and they followed up with confessions to burglarizing several vehicles and homes in the Westminster community.

The deputies were nominated to receive recognition by Craven.

Deputies honored for nabbing alleged Westminster suspects

By Staff | May 6, 2015

Mickey Rosado

Two Lee County deputies working out of the East Zone substation were honored by the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce for their actions and the work of other deputies in helping with the apprehension of two suspects who were charged in several incidents involving the burglarizing of vehicles and residences within the Westminster Golf Club community.

Deputies Mickey Rosado and James Van Pelt were chosen to represent those who helped in the apprehension on April 14.

The other officers included James McDaniel, Jeremy Drake and James Castelli.

The awards were made April 28 during the chamber’s luncheon at the Majestic Golf Club on Homestead Rd. South.

Lt. Mark Mallard said at about 1:26 a.m. April 14, Rosado was flagged down by the security staff of Westminster. The security guard said he was patrolling the area and shined his lights toward a noise and saw two men fleeing the area. Because it was early in the morning, the security guard was not able to give a good description of the two, but said they were wearing dark loose clothing.

James Van Pelt

Rosado passed the information to dispatch and fellow shift partners so they would be made aware of the suspicious activity.

Mallard said that in response to Rosado’s “timely communication,” McDaniel, Drake, Castelli and Van Pelt conducted a concerted search for the two in the area.

Van Pelt discovered two men wearing the clothing matching the description given by the security guard at 1:55 a.m. The two were walking on Gretchen Ave. South when Van Pelt made contact.

Castelli and McDaniel reported to the scene to help and McDaniel found a black wool cap lying on the ground next to one of the suspects and who admitted that it was his.

Both men consented to allow deputies to search their backpacks and their clothing.

MEL TOADVINE Awards were presented to Deputies Mickey Rosado, second from left, and next to him, Deputy James Van Pelt, are at left Capt. Todd Garrison of the East Zone District, and at right, Lt. Mark Mallard, who is second in command at the Lehigh district.

A screwdriver was sound in the pocket of one man’s pants. Castelli located a wallet, which had casino cards with a name on them inside one of the suspect’s book bag and Castelli also located a Bose Wave radio system with remote control inside one of the suspect’s bags.

Mallard said that shortly after 2 a.m., the LCSO received an alarm call at the Dollar General at 701 Gretchen Ave. South, which is approximately 500 feet from where Van Pelt found the two walking.

The alarm company for Dollar General told officials that the alarm was for a burglary in progress, and an alarm company representative was watching video of a man dressed in black, wearing a black wool cap, black pants and black shirt, trying to break the front door glass of the store.

McDaniel, Castelli, Drake, Deputy Adriana Villa and Sgt. John Craven responded to the alarm at the Dollar General but were unable to locate any suspects on the scene, but did make contact with the store manager who had arrived.

He played the surveillance video of the attempted break-in to deputies. The video surveillance footage showed a young man attempting the break-in by breaking the glass of the front door with a large metal pipe. The suspect in the video appeared to be wearing the same clothing worn by one of the suspects, and also matched the other’s facial profile.

The metal pipe in the video was found by McDaniel. It was adjacent to the Dollar General parking lot.

A canine with Deputy Mark Bonora conducted a track search from the store directly to the location of the two suspects.

The man owning the casino cards, who said his car had been broken into, identified them as his.

In the end, the two suspects were given their Miranda rights and they followed up with confessions to burglarizing several vehicles and homes in the Westminster community.

The deputies were nominated to receive recognition by Craven.