BELLEAIR – A St. Petersburg man with relatives living in Belleair has been charged with one residential burglary and several vehicle burglaries that occurred overnight Oct. 24 and early Oct. 25 in Belleair.
According to police Chief Tom Edwards, a resident on Park Avenue who had fallen asleep on his sofa awoke shortly before 5 a.m. to find the suspect in his house. The man ran out of the house and was chased by the homeowner, who flagged down a Belleair police officer. The man was located and arrested.
Charged with residential burglary is TD Knapp, 21, of 3593 27th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. Knapp was additionally charged with burglarizing a vehicle at the same Park Avenue address and possession of Oxycodone. Edwards said that when Knapp was arrested, he was found in possession of three pairs of sunglasses, a Garmin GPS device and one Oxycodone pill.
Edwards said that while questioning Knapp at the Belleair Police Department, several residents reported vehicle burglaries overnight on Oct. 25. In two of the cases, one on Indian Rocks Road and the other on Magnolia Road, the victims later identified sunglasses that had been stolen as those in Knapp’s possession. Another victim, on Mehlenbacher Road in Belleair Bluffs, identified the GPS device as his.
Knapp has been charged with a total of six vehicle burglaries in Belleair and two in Belleair Bluffs, in addition to the Belleair residential burglary and drug charge.
He was released on a surety bond Oct. 27. The investigation continues.
Edwards reminds citizens to make sure they lock their homes and vehicles at all times. More times than not, the vehicles targeted are those left unlocked, he said.
Brewmaster’s burglary investigated
INDIAN ROCKS BEACH – The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is looking for two possible suspects in connection with a burglary at Brewmaster’s Steak House Oct. 28. According to the PCSO, a cook at Brewmaster’s who reported to work the morning of Oct. 29 noticed a broken window and discovered cash had been taken from inside the restaurant. Surveillance video identified the theft as having occurred at 1:45 a.m. The investigation continues.
