St. Lucie County - Friday September 15, 2023: 33-year-old Omar Aaran Cofield, and 24-year-old Cheyenne Shakira Moore were arrested on burglary charges Wednesday afternoon. They are accused of 'jugging' a new crime trend, say law enforcement officials.
The pair were taken into custody by St. Lucie County deputies with the help of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, the South Florida Task Force, and the Indian River County Sheriff Office.
The victim, who had parked in a gas station parking lot after leaving a bank, exited the vehicle just moments before the burglary unfolded. He was uninjured.
The crime was caught on a nearby surveillance camera. A suspect is seen in the video breaking the rear passenger window of the victim's vehicle and stealing a bank bag inside.
View the incident on this link: https://fb.watch/n30goGxR2z/.
The victim had already removed cash from the bag, and once the suspects realized that, they attempted to throw the bag out of their pickup truck off into the water from a bridge. However the bag fell onto the roadway and SLC deputies, who were already in pursuit of the vehicle, recovered it along with the victims ID which was inside the bag.
Cofield and Moore were both arrested and transferred to the St. Lucie County Jail for burglary of an unoccupied vehicle, criminal mischief, petit theft, and possession of burglary tools with intent to use. Moore was also arrested for driving on a suspended/revoked license and providing a false ID to law enforcement. She was released on a $4,750 bond. Cofield is being held on a $55,000 bond. Both suspects are residents of Miami-Dade County.
"It is not uncommon for suspects like these to watch and follow their victim from a financial institution, ATM, or check-cashing store to their next location with the intent to threaten or assault their victim and then demand or take their money," said Sheriff Ken Mascara. "While you should always lock your doors, doing so doesn’t deter all criminals. This incident is a stark reminder to always remove valuables from your vehicle," said the Sheriff.
What is Jugging?
A similar incident involving the same suspects was recently recorded by a surveillance camera in Martin County. Click on this link to view that incident: https://fb.watch/n32fVBTRIK/,
The Martin County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) describes this type of crime as 'jugging' which involves criminals who sit in bank parking lots for hours waiting for someone who exits the bank counting money, or putting wallets in their pockets or purses, or holding bank envelopes.
When that person drives off, the criminals follow and at a red light they rob you, or they follow you home and confront you, or they follow you to your next stop and burglarize your vehicle.
The Martin County Sheriff advises bank customers to be wary when leaving the bank. If you suspect you are being followed, or feel uneasy for any reason, call 911.