Deputies connect dots in burglaries | Crime

SEBRING, Florida - Over a period of several months, Highlands County was hit with a series of random burglaries from one end of the county to the other. As crime analysts worked to find links and extra patrol was conducted, sheriff's deputies were able to connect the dots.

"This was a real team effort between patrol, the safe neighborhood team and detectives," said Sheriff Susan Benton.

In a related case, the Sebring Police Department caught some of these same suspects in the act of committing car burglaries in the city. Between the information gathered with the city police, the crime analysis and numerous interviews, detectives have now cleared as many as 20 burglary cases throughout the county.

Five firearms, a riding lawn mower, car titles, a flat-screen television and two golf carts have been recovered and returned to victims, according to the sheriff's office. Detectives are still working to locate additional stolen property from the burglaries.

Rolando Lopez, 18, Jonathon Miller, 52, Britten Miller, 18, and James Meredith, 44, are all under arrest in connection with the crimes facing numerous counts of burglary and theft.

Detectives request that anyone with information contact their office at 863-402-7250.