A homeless man and a Silver Springs woman were arrested Wednesday after they were caught on video stealing items from a cabin on a secluded plot of land near the intersection of N Hwy. 314A and NE 14th Street Road.
David Ray Wheat, 53, and Destiny Marie Walker, 27, of 3919 NE 173rd Terrace, were both charged with unarmed burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and grand theft of property valued at between $300 and $5,000. A third suspect – a younger male with blonde hair – was also observed on the video. His name was redacted from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office report.
The property owner told a deputy on Monday that he’s been having trouble with people on his property, so he installed Arlo brand cameras to record any activity and they captured two males and a female taking items from the cabin next to his travel trailer, the report said.
The owner said he observed both male subjects in the video holding items he knew were from inside the cabin. He said the older male, later identified as Wheat, picked up one of the cameras, and the subjects had the camera with them when they were committing the burglary. The owner said there were a total of 28 videos – each 2 minutes long – that were timestamped between 5:50 p.m. and 8:04 p.m. Monday, according to the report.
Items reported missing included the Arlo camera valued at $400, a Duracell 12v black battery ($140), a Mr. Buddy heater ($100), a blue Igloo 30-quart cooler ($30), a Summit tree stand ($200), a Keurig coffee maker ($180), a Minn Kota deckhand electric boat anchor model #1810140 ($200), a tree stand harness ($30), a toy bulldozer ($20), a black plastic trunk ($25), a hot plate ($25), loppers ($25), a toy wheelbarrow ($20), and a toy excavator ($65), the report said.
The total value of the stolen items was $1,450. All but the battery, cooler, and tree stand were eventually recovered, according to the report.
All three suspects were wearing masks in some of the clips and were without masks in others. A deputy recognized the female, who had a tattoo on her arm that said, “white girl,” as Walker from previous encounters with her, the report said.
Deputies responded to Walker’s home and observed a toy excavator matching the description of the one stolen in her front yard. As she was placed under arrest, she spontaneously said she had the Arlo camera in her camper. A deputy retrieved the camera and Walker was taken to the Forest district office, according to the report.
Wheat was found in his recreation vehicle two houses to the south and was arrested. He told deputies he was contacted by the younger suspect about going to a friend’s abandoned house and getting some items. He said he didn’t know the property belonged to anyone. When asked why he was wearing a mask if he thought he was allowed to be there, he said he didn’t know, the report said.
Walker said she was asked by Wheat and the younger suspect to help move some items and that she didn’t know the residence belonged to them. She said the only item she took was the toy excavator because her children wanted one and she thought it was being thrown away because it was overgrown with grass. When asked why she was wearing a mask if she thought she was allowed to be there, she said she doesn’t like ticks and the mask was to keep them off her, according to the report.
Wheat and Walker were taken to the Marion County Jail. Wheat was released Thursday on $12,000 bond and does not have a court date set. Walker remains held on $12,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Marion County Court on Sept. 17.