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Chopper deputy helps nab suspected car burglars caught on camera in his driveway
Suspects accused of targeting a deputy's home for a break-in were tracked down by authorities. The deputy, who pilots a helicopter for the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, was notified of the alleged break-in through a home security device.
DELTONA, Fla. - A Seminole County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was about to fly early Sunday morning when the deputy on board was alerted to suspected car burglars outside his home.
In the Ring camera video, you can see someone pulling on door handles before ducking out the Deltona driveway.
Little did the suspects know this was a deputy’s house and that deputy was watching live while at work.
“I called Volusia and told them, ‘Hey, we were about to fly anyways, is there any way we could help,” said Seminole County Deputy Jake Senecal.
Senecal says he was able to get a good description of the suspect’s car from his Ring video. He and the chopper pilot took off and got to the area about 10 minutes later.
“Luckily, it had some distinguishable headlights that my pilot was able to look out and see with his night vision and say, ‘Hey you may want to look at this car.’ And the second I saw it I said - that’s the car I saw in the Ring video,” Senecal explained.
The helicopter in zeroes in on the SUV. When Volusia deputies try to stop the car, the driver takes off. That’s when the stop sticks come out.
After piercing the tires, the SUV rolled slowly into Seminole County. Senecal watches and relays from above where the suspects go after ditching the car.
Investigators say three teens were caught -- 14, 15, and 16 years old. Deputies say their car was stolen and they’ve been linked to several car break-ins in Deltona.
“This one… when you have an actual investment in the call it kind of amped up that excitement a little bit which is why you could hear at the end of the video, I made sure to let everyone know I was grateful of them,” Senecal said.
“Just the deputies… they were absolutely outstanding,” you can hear him saying over the radio after the bust.
Deputies say the suspects also had several wallets, a ski mask, and a window breaching tool in the stolen SUV.