Nephew and Uncle Duo Among Three Busted For Swiping Appliances From Construction Site
In December, more than $13,000 worth of appliances were stolen from an apartment complex under construction on Merrill Road.
The investigation revealed that nephew-and-uncle duo, 36-year-old Donald Bartley and 61-year-old Bruce Bartley arrived at the complex in a red sedan, with 39-year-old Melvin Jackson following behind in a rental truck. The three men loaded the truck with the appliances before driving off.
The next day, detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) Specialized Property Crimes Unit worked with the rental truck company to track down the vehicle Jackson used. They found it 13 miles away with the stolen appliances still inside.
While officers were at the scene, the Bartleys arrived in the same red sedan from the crime and were ulimately arrested.
The three are behind bars in the John E. Goode Pretrial Detention Facility (Duval County jail). Bruce Bartley is also facing additional charges for burglaries targeting homes under construction in 2022.
Citizens are reminded to report suspicious activity to police at 904.630.0500.
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