Authorities say a vehicle assigned to Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony was broken into early Sunday morning in Fort Lauderdale.
The incident occurred around 2:40 a.m. when several items, including firearm magazines, a handcuff key, and personal belongings, were stolen from the unoccupied sheriff’s vehicle. No firearms were taken during the break-in.
A “Be On the Lookout” (BOLO) alert was issued for the suspect, and later that day, 41-year-old Andre Demetric Perry was arrested by Fort Lauderdale police officers on unrelated charges. Following his arrest, Perry was linked to the burglary and charged with burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and grand theft.
Some of the stolen items, including the handcuff key, were recovered after Perry’s arrest, according to Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) spokesman Carey Codd.
Perry, whose legal name is Anthony Perry, appeared in court on Monday, where it was revealed that he had a lengthy criminal history, including prior charges for burglary, cocaine possession, domestic battery by strangulation, and grand theft. It was also disclosed that Perry was on probation at the time of the burglary and is currently homeless. A public defender informed the court that Perry is not employed.
Perry remains in custody at the Broward Main Jail, with a judge ordering that he wear a GPS monitor if he posts bond and stay away from the area where the burglary occurred.
BSO is urging anyone with information about the incident to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477).
