Thursday, November 19, 2009

Deputies Say Man Targeted Unlocked Vehicles

A Golden Gate Estates man has been charged with three recent break-ins of unlocked vehicles in the Waterways community and investigators say additional charges are expected.

Douglas Lafrinier, 21, 1033 Port Orange Way, is charged with burglary of a conveyance, grand theft and fraudulent use of credit cards.

The break-ins are among a string of about a dozen car burglaries in the Waterways community over the past three weeks. All of the vehicles were unlocked.

Reports give this account of what happened:

Lafrinier entered a vehicle at 1061 Port Orange Way sometime late Oct. 26 or early Oct. 27 and took a GPS, cash and credit cards. Sometime between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2 he took a wallet and credit cards from a car parked at 769 Grand Rapids Blvd. He entered a vehicle parked at 3486 Ocean Bluff Court between Nov. 5 and Nov. 6 and took a wallet containing cash, a driver’s license and a Social Security card, reports said.

Deputies were able to identify Lafrinier from a store surveillance photo after he attempted to make a purchase with a credit card belonging to one of the victims at Wal-Mart.

The investigation is continuing.