A homeowner’s video surveillance and a pair of falling-down pants helped foil a would-be thief Friday in the Village of Winifred.
A homeowner on Winifred Way at about 8:30 a.m. had placed his bicycle at the entrance to his garage while he stepped back inside for a few minutes. Attached to the front handlebars of the bicycle was a dive bag containing the man’s iPhone 7, his wallet, hearing aids and other personal items. The value of the items totaled $8,345, according to a report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. When the homeowner stepped back outside, he saw that the dive bag was gone.
His home surveillance footage showed an orange/red car stopping in front of his house, a man getting out and taking the bag. The man was wearing gray pants that were falling down and showing his black shorts.
Community Watch quickly provided video from the Winifred Gate which armed deputies with the vehicle’s license plate number. The car was traced to a woman in Belleview.
Another deputy spotted the vehicle at the Circle K station on U.S. Hwy. 441 and Buenos Aires Boulevard in The Villages. A business card of the Villager was found in the pocket of 40-year-old Patrick Michael McCleary of Weirsdale, who matched the man in the surveillance video.
McCleary had used the Villager’s credit card to purchase fuel for the vehicle, the arrest report indicated.
McCleary was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $19,000 bond.
A criminal history check of McCleary revealed numerous charges for burglary, robbery, and fraud from Flagler, Marion and Lake counties from 1994 to 2016.
