POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A series of car burglaries in a north Lakeland neighborhood has come to an end with the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect and his stepfather. The teen, identified as Ronetae Degraffenreid, was caught by Polk County Sheriff’s deputies after a resident witnessed him attempting to break into vehicles and called 911.
The burglaries began in September with the theft of a wallet from a vehicle parked overnight. In October, two firearms were stolen from another vehicle in the same area. Surveillance footage captured images of the suspect wearing gloves, a face mask, and long sleeves while checking car doors and attempting to break windows.
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On October 31st, deputies responded to a call about a suspect matching the description attempting to break into more vehicles. When confronted by a resident, the suspect threatened the resident with a firearm before fleeing the scene.
Deputies quickly located Degraffenreid and apprehended him after a brief foot chase. During a search of his residence, deputies discovered a cache of stolen items, including:
- Keys and an ID badge stolen from a victim’s car
- A stolen debit card
- Three stolen firearms, one of which was illegally modified into an automatic weapon
- Prescription pills and nitrous oxide
Degraffenreid’s stepfather, 37-year-old Anthony Pettiford, was also arrested after he physically interfered with deputies who were securing the residence for a search warrant. Pettiford, who has a criminal history in four states, was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest.
READ: 10-Time State Prison Inmate Arrested Again In Lakeland After Knife Attack: Polk County Sheriff
Degraffenreid is facing a long list of charges, including armed burglary, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, and possession of a controlled substance.
“This family learned the hard way that we don’t play around here in Polk County when it comes to keeping our residents safe. I cannot even fathom why this juvenile had so many loaded and dangerous firearms in his room. And what a great example his stepdad is setting. They both fooled around, and found out. We welcome anyone who wants to move here to our county, which is a wonderful and safe place to live, but we do have this message – if you come here to commit crime, we will lock you up without hesitation,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
“Oh, and you can’t make this up – this family has a doormat at their front door that says ‘come back with a warrant.’ They might want to think about redecorating now that they’ve gotten our attention, and everyone else’s,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
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