Attempted check fraud at Regions Bank

Boca Raton, FL – On Monday, April 30, at about 10:25 in the morning, an unidentified female attempted to cash a stolen check at the Regions Bank, 2250 West Glades Road.

The female attempted to cash a check in the amount of $1,025.00 from a drive through lane. When the teller became suspicious, the female drove away, leaving the fictitious check, and stolen Florida driver’s license and debit card behind.

If anyone can identify this woman or has information about this crime, they are asked to call Detective Max Del Valle at (561) 338-1302 or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS.

Suspect:                                                Suspect Vehicle:

                                    
White female, 35-45 years old            Silver, Chevy Impala
Medium blonde hair                            5 spoke rims
Mole on cheek                                     Temp. Florida tag
Solid blue Star tattoo on left wrist

       Woman dies from injuries sustained in crash

Boca Raton, FL – On Monday, May 7 at 3:15 in the afternoon officers of the Boca Raton Police Department’s Traffic Homicide Unit responded to a crash, which occurred in the 5500 block of North Federal Highway.

A 2004 four-door Acura, driven by Rashida Stayrook, was traveling northbound on North Federal Highway when it left the roadway. The vehicle traveled into the center grass median where it collided with a tree. Boca Raton Fire Rescue transported Stayrook and front passenger, Elaine Drogan, to Delray Medical Center. On Tuesday, May 8th Drogan died from injuries sustained in the crash. Stayrook sustained incapacitating injures.

Investigators charged Stayrook with driving with an expired driver’s license and while driving without a valid license, through careless or negligent operation, caused serious injury or death. The investigation is on-going and further charges may be forthcoming.

If anyone has information regarding this crash, please contact Traffic Homicide Investigator Chris Somers at (561) 620-6141.

2004 Acura driver:

Rashida Stayrook
49 YOA
Boca Raton, FL

Passenger:

Elaine Drogan
64 YOA
Lake Worth, FL

Hit and run vehicle strikes pedestrian

Boca Raton, FL -  Officers with the Boca Raton Police Department’s Traffic Homicide Unit are investigating a serious injury, hit and run pedestrian crash that occurred at the intersection of St. Andrews Boulevard and West Glades Road at approximately 2:45 this morning.   A white Ford pick-up or Sport Trac traveling north on St. Andrews Boulevard was making a right turn onto West Glades Road when it collided with a female pedestrian.  The pedestrian was taken to Delray Medical Center where she remains in stable condition. 

The hit and run vehicle is described as a white Ford F-Series pick-up truck or Sport Trac.  Investigators are asking anyone who may have any information about the crash to please contact Traffic Homicide Investigator Mike Daly at (561) 338-1356. 

Pedestrian:      

Ana A Tapia Lacayo             

24 years old

Boca Raton, FL

Operation Neighborhood Watch nets over a dozen arrests

Boca Raton, FL – Over the last couple of weeks, members of the Boca Raton Police Services Department devised Operation Neighborhood Watch to stem the rising number of residential and automobile burglaries in the city.  The project involved shifting officers from other areas of the department to undercover assignments, stepped-up intelligence briefings, targeted marked patrols to areas of concern and neighborhood education efforts.

The impact was immediate.  Since the start of Operation Neighborhood Watch, more than a dozen people have been arrested for Automobile Burglary, Residential Burglary, Loitering & Prowling and other charges.  In all cases the individuals arrested were not from the City of Boca Raton and were in possession of burglary tools or stolen property.

Effective crime prevention starts with alert and involved neighbors.  During neighborhood surveys following crimes, many citizens reported that they saw suspicious activity, but did not call the police.  The Boca Raton Police Services Department encourages residents to report suspicious activity immediately to 561-368-6201 or 911.  If it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t right.

Citizens can also find tips to protect their homes on our web site at http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/police/home_security.shtm. Residents may request a home security survey from our Crime Prevention Unit by calling 561-347-3938.

See below for recent arrests.

Fingerprint leads to more charges for suspect already in jail

Boca Raton, FL – On March 20, 2012 Boca Raton Police Services was called to investigate a car burglary at LA Fitness on Technology Way.  The victim said someone punched the lock on his 2002 Ford Mustang and stole his wallet containing cash and a debit card.  The debit card was used minutes later at the Mobil gas station on West Yamato Road. 

Fingerprints were removed from the exterior of the car by the investigating officer which came back  to Christopher Wimer. Wimer was already in the Palm Beach County Jail for similar crimes committed in Altantis, Florida.  On May 9, 2012 detectives interviewed Wimer at County Jail where he admitted to breaking into Donadio’s car at LA Fitness and using his debit card to get gas.  Wimer was charged with Burglary to Auto and Theft.

 Arrested:

Christopher Wimer
DOB: 6/24/92
Ocala, FL

Off duty Boca Raton Police Officer spots suspect prowling cars

Boca Raton, FL – An off duty Boca Raton Police Officer was at the right place at the right time Monday afternoon.  Around 4:30 pm while passing through the parking lot of Flannigan’s Restaurant, the officer spotted a SUV with two people in it and a third nearby looking into car windows.  When the suspect outside the car noticed the officer, he got back into the SUV and it drove off. 

The officer called into the Boca Raton 911 dispatch center and advised them of what he just witnessed.  The officer followed the SUV onto Palmetto Park Road where on duty officers quickly arrived and stopped it.  The three occupants were questioned and all gave differing stories.  One suspect had cuts on his hands and small pieces of glass in his shoes consistent with glass from a car window.  A check of the Ford Explorer turned up a checkbook in someone else’s name, a window punch tool, and other items. It was determined the checkbook was taken from an auto burglary at Boca Inlet Park. A check of the area where the SUV was parked in Flannigan’s turned up a black purse in the bushes.

Arrested were Myron Stanley of Lauderhill, Brian Abrams of Pompano Beach and Garrick Troutman of Oakland Park.  All three were charged with Loitering & Prowling, Petit Theft and Possession of Burglary Tools.  Troutman was also charged with Providing a False Name while under arrest for giving officers different names when being questions.

Arrested:

Myron Stanley               Brian Abram                Garrick Troutman

DOB: 2/14/86               DOB: 7/26/90               DOB: 11/25/90

Lauderhill, FL                Pompano Beach, FL     Oakland Park, FL

Beefed up patrols yield more arrests of suspects targeting homes

Boca Raton, FL – The Boca Raton Police Services Department Tactical (TAC) Team and other officers were busy on Tuesday cracking down on suspects committing residential burglaries.  Around 10:30 AM members of the TAC Team were patrolling the neighborhoods in Strathmore and Boca Madera.

While on patrol, officers spotted a dark blue Chrysler 300 with windows tinted, much darker than allowed by law.  Officers monitored the car as the occupants drove down NW 34th Street.  A check of the license plate showed the car came back to a rental car agency.  Officers observed the car as it drove throughout the neighborhood without an apparent destination before pulling it over.

Officers immediately smelled marijuana coming from the car.  Both occupants were questioned and had differing stories.  One occupant, Adrian Brown said he was from Lauderhill but could not explain why they were in that neighborhood.  The other suspect, Rodney Stephens, also from Lauderhill said he was going to a job interview but could not provide where it was or provide any verifying information.  Stephens later admitted that they came to Boca Raton to break into houses. 

Both suspects were charged with Possession of Burglary Tools, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and not wearing seatbelts.  Brown was also charged with not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign and the tint being too dark on the vehicles windows.

Arrested:

  Adrian Brown                 Rodney Stephens

  DOB: 1/21/91                DOB: 5/17/92

  Lauderhill, FL                 Lauderhill, FL

Faux valet dupes elderly woman

Boca Raton, FL – Detectives from the Boca Raton Police Services Department are investigating the theft of a car from outside the Grand Lux Café at Town Center Mall.  The victim, an 87 year old woman, says she pulled into a parking space near the restaurant and was getting out of her car when she was approached by a man asking if she wanted him to valet her car.  She told the man that she didn’t think the area was for valet, and he instructed her to pull up in front of the restaurant and he would park her car for her.  After driving her car to the front of the Grand Lux Cafe, the victim relinquished her car to the man she presumed was a valet attendant.  Before entering the mall, she looked back to see the man park her car in an available space.

After going inside and telling family members about her experience with the valet attendant, she learned that valet service closed at 6:00 pm on Sunday, and it was 6:45 pm.  She returned to discover her car had been stolen.

The suspect is described as in his 50’s, clean cut, dark hair, a multi-colored shirt and dark pants.  Anyone with any information is asked to contact Detective Chris Suarez at 561-620-6146 or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS

Suspect:

White Male

Approx. 50-55 years old

Clean cut, dark hair

Multicolored shirt

Dark pants

Man charged in scheme to defraud homeowners facing foreclosure

Boca Raton, FL – The Boca Raton Police Department, in conjunction with the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and the Boynton Beach Police Department, conducted a joint investigation into the business practices of Guilfort Dieuvil, president of Nationwide Investment Firm (NIF) Corporation.

NIF was originally located at 1375 Gateway Blvd. in Boynton Beach, but moved to 301 East Yamato Road in November, 2009. It remained there until December 2011, when it moved to 515 Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach. Dieuvil advertised on numerous radio stations, including Haitian and Spanish language stations, as well as YouTube. He also distributed flyers to facilitate the fraud.

The investigation found that Dieuvil solicited homeowners to transfer their homes, which were in the process of being foreclosed by their financial institutions, to him with the promise that his company would pay off the delinquent amount. Fifteen cases were selected for an in-depth investigation. The victims transferred their properties through either a Quit Claim Deed or Warranty Deed to Dieuvil, who did not pay off the delinquent mortgages and retained ownership of the properties for his own use. A total of 17 properties were transferred with an aggregate market value of $2,550,822.00.

Detectives arrested and charged Dieuvil with 13 counts of 1st degree grand theft, four counts of grand theft, obtaining property by false representation, and 17 counts of mortgage fraud.

Arrested:

Guilfort Dieuvil
DOB 11/16/1973
Delray Beach, FL

(Photo courtesy of PBSO)

Beefed up patrols yields burglary arrests

Boca Raton, FL – On Monday, May 7, Boca Raton Police officers were conducting surveillance in and around St. Andrews Boulevard due to a recent rash of burglaries. At close to 10:00 in the morning, an officer saw a white Mazda heading northbound on St. Andrews Blvd., then make a u-turn at the 3700 block and proceed southbound past the officer. About five minutes later the car again drove north on St. Andrews and made the same u-turn. This time the officer followed the car.

The Mazda went west on NW 31st Street and pulled into a driveway. As the officer drove by, he saw two males, later identified as Jerquian Brown and Markell Hollis, standing next to the garage door on the west side of the home. The two suspects saw the officer’s car and ran back to their car and got into the passenger side. As the driver was backing out of the driveway the officer stopped the car. When the officer approached the car, he saw Brown reach toward the side pocket on the passenger door. The driver of the car was identified as Randy Sanders.

All three suspects gave conflicting accounts of why they were in the area and what they were doing next to the house. When officers checked the house, they found fresh pry marks on the door the suspects were seen standing near. The homeowner told officers the marks were not there the day before. In the front passenger pocket of the car, officers found gloves and a screwdriver.

Officers charged Brown, Hollis, and Sanders with attempted burglary to a structure and possession of burglary tools. Sanders was also charged with driving with a suspended license and Brown had two active warrants.

Arrested:

Jerquian Brown             Markell Hollis                Randy Sanders
DOB 10/17/1993           DOB 08/07/1989            DOB 03/03/1990
Boynton Beach, FL       Boynton Beach, FL        Boynton Beach, FL

Man arrested for attempting to kill his girlfriend

Boca Raton, FL – On Monday, May 7 at just after 8:00 in the morning, Boca Raton Police officers responded to a report of a domestic disturbance in the area of Glouchester Street and Dixie Highway.

When officers arrived on the scene, they met with the victim at a neighbor’s house. The victim had visible injuries, including a head wound, multiple bruises and a swollen knee. Boca Raton Fire Rescue transported the victim to Delray Medical Center, where officers interviewed her. The victim said she and her live-in boyfriend, Mercedito Santana, started arguing the night before when she accused him of taking $20 from her. Santana pushed her down onto the bed, straddled her, and began to beat her with his fists. Santana left her on the bed, picked up a hammer and began to destroy things in the room. Santana returned to the bed, put his hand over the victim’s mouth and struck the pillows on either side of her head repeatedly saying, “I’m going to kill you.” A wound on the victim’s head appeared to be the result of a hammer strike.

The victim said that at some point they both fell asleep and when she woke up in the morning Santana refused to let her go to work, but accompanied her while she went out to buy cigarettes. When they returned home, the victim tried to get away several times, but Santana prevented her escape. She was unable to call police because Santana smashed her cell phone. Finally, the victim was able to climb over a fence and escape to a neighbor’s house.

Officers spoke with Santana but his account was not consistent with the victim’s injuries or his own lack of injuries. Officers arrested Santana and charged him with attempted felony murder, aggravated domestic battery, false imprisonment, vandalism, and hindering a victim from contacting police.

Arrested:

Mercedito Santana
DOB 03/09/1960
Boca Raton, FL