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Coins in pockets give away suspects
Three are arrested in the case of a water jug full of $2,000 in change stolen from a house.
By THOMAS LAKE
Published October 15, 2006
HUDSON - Few would call burglary a brilliant career choice. But skillful practitioners have guidelines. Somewhere on the list must be this one: Don't walk around near the crime scene with heavy-looking bulges in your pockets. Especially if one of the missing items is a 5-gallon Zephyrhills water jug containing nearly $2,000 in change. It happened early Thursday on Berkowitz Avenue south of Clark Street. Here's the story, according to Pasco County Sheriff's Office arrest reports and spokesman Doug Tobin: Three or four miscreants were ambling along Clark Street when they saw a house that appeared to be unoccupied. One sneaked in through a window and unlocked the door for the others. Inside, they found a whimpering Jack Russell terrier, which they placated with Chinese food from the refrigerator. They took costume jewelry from a box and a black pistol that turned out to be a pellet gun. Their biggest score: the jug of change. They lugged the loot back to their hideout on Clark Street. They cut open the jug and threw its remnants out the back door. They spent some of the cash on crack. Later that morning, a deputy working the case saw a man and a woman walking up Clark Street toward a convenience store. He followed them. The man's pants pockets appeared strangely full, as did the woman's jacket pockets. They went to the convenience store and made their purchases. The deputy went in behind them to ask the clerk how they paid. The clerk said they used quarters. The jig was up. Theresa Weaver, 32, and Brett Eppert, 48, both of 13406 Chalet Court; and Denise Beckwith, 33, of 13329 Swordfish Drive, were arrested and charged with armed burglary. Beckwith was also charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and Eppert was charged with possession of cocaine. All three were held in lieu of bail Friday at the Land O'Lakes Jail; Beckwith's and Eppert's was set at $30,000, and Weaver's was $25,000. Investigators are considering charges against a fourth person. The reports say the stolen property was recovered. "I guess if you steal $2,000 worth of change," Tobin said, "it's best not to put it in your pockets." Thomas Lake can be reached at tlake@sptimes.com or 727 869-6245.
[Last modified October 15, 2006, 07:16:53]
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