FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — Two men were arrested Wednesday, accused of vandalizing a not-yet-opened hotel in Fernandina Beach and causing $300,000 to $500,000 worth of damage.
Rafael De Jesus Charriez, 21, and Sage Theodore Chrzanoski, 20, both from Fernandina Beach, were arrested on charges of burglary with damage exceeding $1,000, possession of burglary tools and prevent extinguish fire equipment, according to a news release from the Nassau County Sheriff's Office.
Fernandina Beach Fire/Rescue personnel responded to the Hilton Home 2 Suites at 2246 Sadler Road after a fire alarm in the building went off around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.
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Rescue personnel called deputies after seeing the hotel windows had been broken out. NCSO deputies found a brick had been thrown through a glass door, according to the release.
Deputies found extensive damage inside the new hotel, which was scheduled to open soon. A fire extinguisher had been expelled throughout the building, shoe prints were found on the powdered covered floor and blood was found on some items that were damaged, the release said.
Sheriff BIll Leeper told Action News Jax reporter Brittney Verner that the suspects were "pulling TVs, busting out windows, throwing furniture out, taking the fire extinguisher, spraying it everywhere."
Much of the damage was concentrated on the third and fourth floors, with damage from fire extinguishers, televisions broken from their stands, shattered shower glass doors, shattered microwave ovens, mirrors and numerous other broken windows throughout the building.
Deputies saw mattresses, refrigerators, lamps, tables and chairs were thrown through some of the broken windows. A total of 33 rooms, including the lobby area, sustained damage.
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While deputies were investigating at the hotel, Chrzanoski was stopped on Sadler Road near the South Fletcher roundabout by Fernandina Beach police officers for having improper lighting on the bicycle he was riding, according to an arrest report.
The sheriff said it was their rookie mistakes that got them caught. One of the men was spotted riding a bicycle not far from the hotel with evidence on his clothes.
"They had sprayed a fire extinguisher inside the hotel, we had footprints in there and one of them was wearing shoes similar to what the foot prints were, and he had white powder all over his pants which was a clue," Leeper said.
His shoes appeared to match the shoe prints found in the hotel, and he also had what appeared to be white powder on his black pants and small cuts on his hands, the arrest report said.
Chrzanoski agreed to walk deputies through the hotel damage, the report said. Deputies later located Charriez and found that he also had cuts on his hands, as described by Chrzanoski.
The men were booked into the Nassau County Jail and are each being held on a $65,006 bond.