Three men responsible for at least 30 vehicle burglaries, cops say

Deputies arrested three men in connection with a string of recent vehicle burglaries around Manatee County, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

The group, in total, committed approximately 30 vehicle burglaries during the past month, deputies said. Most of the burglaries occurred in the east and north regions of the county.

On Tuesday, deputies were dispatched to Lexington Drive in Parrish regarding a suspicious man looking inside vehicles with a flashlight. When law enforcement responded, they found David Schwerha, 28, in possession of stolen property, according to the sheriff’s office. He was arrested.

A subsequent investigation led detectives to also arrest Christoper Dumont, 27, and Christopher Lembachner, 21. All three men are facing charges that include multiple counts of burglary and fraudulent use of credit cards.

The men, deputies said, stole credit cards in some of the vehicle burglaries and used them to purchase items at area stores.

“The majority of the vehicles were unlocked,” deputies said. “So it’s imperative for residents to lock (their) vehicles and remove all valuables.”

This story was originally published December 1, 2017 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Three men responsible for at least 30 vehicle burglaries, cops say."