Jacksonville police arrest man after third break-in at daycare

A man is facing charges after officers found him hiding in the ceiling of a Jacksonville day care.

Taki Starkes-Parrish said she had just left Juzt Kidz Learning Center on Winton Road Sunday when she got a call from her security company.

The company told her there was an unauthorized entry to her day care – for the third time in a week.

The suspected burglar – 43-year-old Liddell McGrier – was still there when she and police got there.
Officers surrounded the building and found him inside the attic.

“He had literally punched a hole in the ceiling, climbed into it some type of way,” Starkes-Parrish said.

They could literally see the insulation going up and down, up and down. Guess he was breathing hard.”

Starkes-Parrish said Mcgrier fell through the ceiling as officers tried to escort him out of the attic.

“It’s a great deal of damages,” she said. “You can see insulation, you can see sheet rock all on the floor.”

McGrier is facing a burglary charge. Starkes-Parrish said she believes he’s behind two other break-ins at the daycare.

A computer, food and paper goods were stolen. Starkes-Parrish said the burglar or burglars also made sandwiches during the break-ins.

“If you were hungry, I mean really, we would’ve fed you,” she said.

She said she is grateful to the officers who arrested him.

“To go up in a dark attic and look for a criminal who could’ve actually had a gun, could’ve had a knife. They put themselves in harm's way and I’m just really grateful.”

Cox Media Group