CCSO investigating string of car thefts after multiple firearms stolen

Clay County Sheriff’s Office is looking for suspects in relation to multiple car burglaries that happened this week, all in the Middleburg area.

The first police report states a pistol worth over $1,000 and a cellphone were stolen out of a Ford Fusion and a Nissan Armada Wednesday. The car owners told Action News Jax they also gave surveillance video to police.

The second report from a nearby neighborhood stated a 2018 white BMW was stolen around 2 a.m. Wednesday. The owner, Helen Zou, told Action News Jax she was sleeping with her two daughters inside the house when her car was taken.

“I can’t believe that because my area is so good, never happened before,” Zou said.

She said her dealership was able to track her car through the vehicle’s GPS system and found it abandoned in Jacksonville. The car had no exterior damage, but the car had a smoke odor and the registration was missing. The suspects still have a spare set of keys as well.

“Right now we’re scared. That’s why we have a camera on the back, on the front,” Zou said.

The third police report shows another car burglary in an adjacent neighborhood. The owner reported a pistol stolen from a vehicle.

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The fourth police report states the car was broken into but nothing was taken from the vehicle.

“They had taken everything out and threw it on the ground, in the back seat and her trunk,” Sara Pappas, that victim's sister, said. “Her glove box, everything has been rummaged through that as well.”

Pappas said her sister’s car was parked out front of her house at the time of the incident. She said the car was locked at the time.

“No one is safe,” Pappas said. “Don’t ever assume your stuff is OK or if you’re in a safe neighborhood, because crime in everywhere.”

Action News Jax reached out to CCSO for information about these reports and a possible suspect, but they said they cannot give out additional information on active cases.

Cox Media Group