A couple dubbed the “Pillowcase Burglars” is being held without bond at the Sumter County Detention Center in connection with a series of burglaries in the area.
Husband and wife, 41-year-old Darren Decker and 44-year-old Jessica Baker, were arrested in Marion County last week. They are suspects in approximately 60 residential burglaries across North Central Florida.
The investigation revealed that the couple forcibly entered the victims’ residences through either the front or rear door. Once inside, they stole guns, jewelry and small electronics. Their signature was using pillowcases from the victims’ homes to transport the stolen property.
The suspects were recently identified after they attempted to sell some of the stolen items. Surveillance teams from the Marion County and Citrus County sheriff’s offices began to track the suspects’ movements. Both suspects were arrested in Marion County during a traffic stop after they allegedly committed a burglary in Sumter County. Decker and Baker were then charged with grand theft/burglary of a dwelling for the Sumter County burglary.
Detectives obtained search warrants for the suspects’ residence in Ocala and for the vehicle they were using. During the search warrants, detectives also identified a storage unit the suspects were using to store stolen items.
Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair also indicated in a press conference Monday that Decker and Baker are persons of interest in a deadly home invasion robbery Jan. 25 in Ocala. They are also suspects in a death in Citrus County.
