Culprit nabbed with evidence of three car burglaries

At about 1:00 a.m. this morning, St Augustine Police responded to a call from a neighbor in the Harbour Vista community who reported hearing some commotion in the parking lot and observing someone tampering with cars.

The witness told police that he observed, from his open bedroom window, someone looking into vehicles and trying the doors of parked cars as if to see if they were unlocked.

When Police Officer Len Troscher arrived on the scene, the witness pointed to 21 year-old Chelsey Marie Camerone walking through the parking lot at a fast pace. Troscher detained Camerone in the parking lot.

The witness said Camerone, who told police at the scene that she also lives in the condominiums, was the person he observed earlier entering a white Lexus; hearing what sounded like coins being shuffled.

The residents were canvassed and the owner of the Lexus was located. She came outside and confirmed that her loose change was missing. Camerone had a sandwich bag of change in her right pocket; it contained four one-dollar bills and one five-dollar bill along with about $15 of loose change.

Although Camerone said that the money was hers, a closer look at the clear bag revealed parts of a torn check bearing the victim’s name. Troscher placed Camerone under arrest. He recited her Miranda rights, and then Camerone stated that she wanted to speak to a lawyer, so, all questioning stopped.

A cell phone in Camerone’s left pocket, was identified from the calling history — the true owner was contacted, identified the phone, a car charger, and a pair of Costa del Mar sunglasses as being stolen from his truck. The total value was estimated at $400.

Camerone recanted and offered to tell officers that she took the iPod Nano and a speaker box from a bag on the passenger seat of a white Jeep. The third victim was located and identified her items.

Property belonging to Camerone included a cell phone and a small flashlight she used to look through the vehicles. All stolen items were returned to the proper owners. Camerone, gave 373 Fortuna Avenue in St Augustine as her residence when she arrived at the St Johns County Detention Facility; where she remains in lieu of $13,000 bond.