Spitting burglar sitting at Crossbar Hotel

A convenience store clerk working at the Kangaroo in the 4500 block of US-1 North in St Augustine, reported to sheriff’s deputies yesterday that he confronted a 20 year-old St Johns County man after he was observed inside the clerk’s vehicle.

Kevin Kelshaw reported to Historic City News that the man inside his car was “looking for a light” according to a statement in the incident report. The jig was up when the victim’s cell phone rang — from inside the thief’s pocket.

When the victim demanded his phone back, he says the burglar complied — then cussed at him, spit towards him and fled in a black Ford Taurus with a Florida tag.

Using motor vehicle registration information, investigators developed Jonathon Dretron Johnson, who resides at 413 W. Silverthorn Lane, as the possible burglar. The victim picked Johnson out of a photo line-up.

When deputies went to Johnson’s residence, they found him lying down in the front seat of the getaway car. Johnson was questioned, taken from the vehicle and arrested.

When officers inventoried the contents of the vehicle, they discovered a pair of sunglasses and some compact discs that belong to a 23 year-old female clerk from the same Kangaroo, as well as a woman’s purse taken from an unlocked vehicle parked at another nearby residence.

The stolen property was identified and returned to the victims.

Johnson was booked into the St Johns County Detention Facility, charged with three counts of burglary to a conveyance, two counts of petit theft and one count of violation of probation. He remains in custody without bond.