We need to protect our children from guns

[RepublicThunderbolt]

Or, perhaps, the other way around...

The Palm Beach Post
Saturday, June 10, 2000

Lake Park teen stole arsenal from police cars, police say

Shauntae Prince, 16, is being charged as an adult with armed auto burglary, machine gun possession and grand theft.

By Antigone Barton
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

In the six months since Shauntae Prince turned 16, he has racked up a list of felony charges that he will face as an adult, according to state records.

On Friday West Palm Beach police added more, saying he stole an arsenal of high-powered weapons in a series of break-ins of marked and unmarked police cars.

The Lake Park teenager now has been charged with armed auto burglary, machine gun possession and grand theft.

Prine already had been charged with grand theft and armed burglary in earlier incidents when he and another man burglarized four police cars May 26, taking machine guns, rifles, ammunition and other weapons and equipment, police say. On May 31, police responding to a call about another break-in, chased and arrested Prince. He was wanted on a warrant for removing an ankle monitor he was supposed to wear as part of a house arrest arrangement, police said.

Police said they also arrested Derry Josey, 25, who later took them to a Rosemary Street house where they found police weapons taken in the May 26 break-ins as well as a gun taken in a 1994 burglary. Still missing, police say, are two Glock pistols. Police have not charged Josey in the May 26 thefts. he remains in custody.

In the wake of the charges, police are relieved, said West Palm Beach spokeswoman Dena Peterson, "We got some high-powered weaponry off the streets."

antigone_barton@pbpost.com

This follows on the heels of a report earlier in the week of thefts of submachine guns, shotguns and pistols from the trunks of police officers attending a seminar in Fort Lauderdale.

 

[Oatka]

Thanks. Another one for those who prate
"Only the police and military . . ."

Here's the link to Thunderbolt's Ft. Lauderdale thefts. (This might have been posted elsewhere).
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/daily/detail/0,1136,32000000000108068,00.html

Rash of West Palm car burglaries appears to target law enforcement

By KEVIN KRAUSE Sun-Sentinel
Web-posted: 12:43 a.m. June 2, 2000

WEST PALM BEACH -- Car burglaries are a nagging crime that keep police throughout South Florida busy.

Now some red-faced officers are finding themselves victims.

During a rash of burglaries in recent weeks, thieves have snatched an automatic assault rifle used by a SWAT officer, a federal drug agent's badge and handgun, and police-issued bulletproof vests.

"It looks as though (the burglars) were targeting law enforcement cars," West Palm Beach police spokeswoman Dena Peterson said.

Police have not arrested anyone in connection with those burglaries. However, they have arrested a 16-year-old and a 24-year-old after two cars were burglarized on Wednesday. Those arrests led to the discovery of the officers' equipment.

The thefts have landed at least one federal Drug Enforcement Administration agent in hot water for leaving his badge and handgun in his unmarked car, a violation of DEA policy. The Glock 9mm handgun belonging to the agent still has not been recovered.

The agent's car was broken into Tuesday night. On Wednesday, a woman found the badge at a bus stop and turned it in, said Brent Eaton of the DEA's Miami office.

"We're supposed to take them with us," he said. "It will be looked into."

Eaton would not release the agent's name.

West Palm Beach police found an MP-5 assault rifle belonging to a SWAT member along with other stolen guns in the home of a Lake Worth man.

Marlon McClendon, 24, was arrested Wednesday on charges of auto burglary, grand theft and resisting arrest without violence after a witness saw him and the 16-year-old break into two cars, reports show.

The witness called 911 after seeing McClendon and the juvenile drive up in a white 1989 Ford Taurus at 12:22 a.m. and begin looking into cars outside Knights Inn at Interstate 95 and 45th Street in West Palm Beach.

The witness reported seeing two people breaking into two vehicles and taking items, which police later said were worth about $450. When police arrived, the pair ran but were eventually caught.

McClendon was released Thursday on $3,000 bail.

During a search of McClendon's Lake Worth home on South E Street, police said, an SKS assault rifle reported stolen in a home burglary and a 9mm handgun also were found.

Police said the teen, who has not been identified, told police he was involved in about 20 car and home burglaries while on house arrest, Peterson said.

The teen was placed on house arrest May 3 on a West Palm Beach burglary charge. But 17 days later, he cut off the court-ordered ankle monitoring device, Peterson said. The youth was being held Thursday on a warrant charging him with violating his house arrest.

Among the 20 burglaries, Peterson said, were three marked police cars parked outside a West Palm Beach hotel last Friday. The officers were participating in a police dog competition hosted by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

The cars belonged to police departments in Hollywood, Homestead and Tampa International Airport, Peterson said.

Among the items taken from the cars were police tactical gear, such as helmets, bulletproof vests and gas masks.

Kevin Krause can be reached at kkrause@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6604.

Copyright 1999, Sun-Sentinel Co. & South Florida Interactive, Inc.

 

[Jim V]

Hummm, to paraphrase Wille Sutton, "Why did you break into police cars?" "Because that is where the guns are."

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"