MELBOURNE, Florida – Melbourne Police officers responded to the Sonic Restaurant located at 555 S. Babcock Street in Melbourne to a grand theft that just occurred. The victim, an employee at the Sonic, told the officers an unknown man walked into the employee only area and asked a question about lost luggage.
The employee tried to assist the man with no success, and then as the man was leaving he surreptitiously stole the employee’s purse. Moments later, when the victim realized the purse, which contained over $2000 thousand dollars, was missing, she notified the police. The distraught victim stated the money was her savings that she was going to use to purchase her first car.
Police immediately began to search the area for the suspect. A few moments’ later, officers received a call from the Hooters Restaurant located at 877 S. Babcock Street in reference to a patron who stole a waitress’s tip money. Police responded and made contact with the suspect, 43-year-old Jeffery Carnrite.
The investigation revealed that Mr. Carnite stole the tips other patrons left on the tables for the waitresses. Based on the numerous witness statements Mr. Carnrite was arrested.
Knowing that Mr. Carnrite matched the description of the suspect in the Sonic theft, the police had the victim come identify Mr. Carnrite as the same person who entered the Sonic.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Mr. Carnrite was found to have all the money from the Hooters theft and the Sonic theft hidden in his sock. Mr. Carnrite was arrested for the two thefts. Police say that, immediately upon being arrested, Mr. Carnrite began to violently fight with the officers and attempted to break out the windows on a Melbourne Police vehicle.
Mr. Carnrite allegedly attempted to bend back the fingers of one of the officers in an apparent attempt to break them. Mr. Carnrite was subdued and eventually turned over to the Brevard County Detention Center where he was charged with Grand Theft, Petit Theft, and Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer.
The Melbourne Police Department is investigating this incident.
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