Deputies arrest Siesta burglary suspects

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has arrested two men believed to be responsible for a string of vehicle burglaries on Siesta Key, said Sgt. Scott Osborne.

Carmelo Curbelo, 47, and Rene Sanchez, 35, were both charged with Burglary of a Vehicle, Grand Theft, and Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, after purchasing an iPad at a local Walmart with a stolen credit card. The pair is suspected of breaking into a tourist’s vehicle in the beach parking lot and stealing two cell phones and two credit cards, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

An Arizona woman reported the theft, and deputies alerted Walmart staff. The two men returned to the store a short time after buying the popular tablet, and employees were able to get their license plate number.

Deputies arrested the men and found the stolen items and the items that were purchased with the cards. Curbelo, who was found to be on Federal Probation, was also charged with Fleeing to Elude and Driving with a Suspended License, and Sanchez was separately charged with Tampering with Evidence.