Tennessee man charged in string of burglaries in Sarasota after arrest in Manatee

SARASOTA -- A Tennessee man was charged Friday in connection with a string of kick-in home burglaries over the last two months in Sarasota and Osprey, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

Zachary Stein, 21, and passenger Jimmy Harris, 20, were booked into Sarasota County jail on charges related to a vehicle pursuit.

According to the sheriff's office, more than 30 residential burglaries were reported in Sarasota and Manatee counties throughout January and February. In most of the burglaries, the front door had been kicked in and electronics were stolen from the home.

As detectives began their investigation, the sheriff's office said they identified a Mazda 3 with a Tennessee license plate as a vehicle of interest.

On Monday, deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office spotted the suspect vehicle and pursued the driver into the city of Sarasota where the Sarasota Police Department arrested driver Stein and Harris on charges related to the vehicle pursuit.

When Sarasota detectives interviewed Stein, the 21-year-old admitted involvement in four residential burglaries in Sarasota and Osprey, according to a release. Detectives charged him with two counts of attempted burglary and two counts of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling. He is currently being held in the Manatee County Jail on charges related to Monday's pursuit.

Additional charges are pending in Sarasota County and in surrounding jurisdictions, according to a release.

The investigation is ongoing.

This story was originally published February 12, 2016 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Tennessee man charged in string of burglaries in Sarasota after arrest in Manatee ."