Bradenton SWAT team raids house in search for evidence in burglaries; arrests two

BRADENTON -- Hoping to crack a burglary ring plaguing Manatee and Sarasota counties, the Bradenton Police Department's SWAT team broke down a front door at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, arrested two suspects and searched for stolen goods at a duplex in the 1600 block of Ninth Avenue West.

"We're working a case with the Holmes Beach and Longboat Key police departments and the Manatee and Sarasota sheriff's offices because they have all had burglaries in their city jurisdictions," said Lt. James Racky of the Bradenton SWAT team.

The SWAT team arrived

with a search warrant, Racky said.

"We were looking for stolen property," Racky said. "Stolen guns, stolen TVs, anything that was taken from the beachside burglaries, we are looking for inside the house. We have found evidence, but we are not going to say what we found right now."

The suspects, a man and a woman, were taken to Bradenton Police Department to be interviewed about possible roles in the burglaries and the items found in the house, Racky said.

Information led the four agencies working the case to the duplex and Bradenton police were contacted for assistance, Racky said.

Racky said the suspects didn't open the door when the SWAT team announced its intentions to enter.

"We breached the door after they would not open it," Racky said.

The suspects put up verbal resistance but not physical, Racky added.

Alan Brown, a neighbor, said he heard a "boom boom" and thought the police had exploded something inside the house.

He said he has seen law enforcement in the area looking around for several days.

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072 or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 11:56 PM with the headline "Bradenton SWAT team raids house in search for evidence in burglaries; arrests two ."