Police need help identifying this man

There have been seven recent burglaries to vehicles near Anastasia State Park and police are asking Historic City News readers for help in identifying a man attempting to use a credit card stolen from the area.

Community Affairs Officer Barbara Clifford of the St. Augustine Police Department reports that as the investigation continues into these auto break-ins, an alert credit card company employee may have helped identify one of the suspects when he tried to make a large jewelry purchase in Ponte Vedra Beach.

In committing these crimes, the suspects enter unlocked vehicles and steals the owner’s wallet or purse. Because the victims are unaware that their wallet or purse is stolen from their vehicle, the suspect has time to use the bank cards that were inside.

The suspects have been able to charge thousands of dollars on the credit cards that have been reported stolen to date.

In this case, when the suspect attempted to make an $1800 jewelry purchase from a store in Ponte Vedra Beach, the credit card company contacted the actual owner of the credit card and discovered that the card was missing.

The credit card company declined the transaction and the victim called police.

A still photo from the surveillance video shows a man attempting to use the stolen credit card and police hope that the public can identify him from his picture.

If you recognize this suspect or have any information about the recent auto burglaries, contact the St Augustine Police Department Crime Tip Line at 904-209-3482.