Palatka teens charged in car burglary

An 18-year old Putnam County teen led deputies on a car chase through St Augustine South shortly before 4:00 a.m., Wednesday; when he sped through three stop signs, crossed the median on US-1 and continued north in the southbound lane, turned onto Lewis Point Road, went through a red light at Old Moultrie Road, and then struck a tree.

The driver, Edward Lewis Offord Jr., who resides at 609 Oleander Drive in Palatka, and his three 17 year-old passengers, were all charged in connection with a car burglary that occurred on Phonetia Drive in the St Augustine Shores area early Wednesday morning.

Deputies located a wallet that belonged to the woman who was the victim of that break-in and recovered more possibly stolen property from inside the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, which was impounded. Additional charges are pending the identification of that property.

According to Kevin Kelshaw, media relations officer for the St Johns County Sheriff’s Office, investigators are trying to connect the four teens to numerous burglaries that have occurred; both in the Shores and the St Augustine Beach area.

Offord was released from jail yesterday after posting bonds totaling $5,500 on charges of fleeing and attempting to elude, burglary to a conveyance, and petit theft.

Charges against the juveniles, also from Palatka, alleging burglary and petit theft are pending.