Suspects Cooperate In Burglary Investigation

SEBRING - Two suspects were cooperating with Sebring police investigators Friday in its investigation into 13 burglaries in the downtown Sebring area.

The two suspects, Lamar F. Wilcher Jr., 19, of Sebring, and James L. Gardner, 21, of Sebring, were riding around town Friday morning with Sebring police detectives helping to recover some of the stolen merchandise, said Sebring Police Cmdr. Steve Carr.

The detectives have obtained confessions from both suspects and were in the process of obtaining arrest warrants, Carr said.

Police spent considerable man hours investigating the case, said Carr.

Schedules were shuffled around to add more patrol units to the streets at night, when these burglaries were going on.

The pair have been linked to burglaries at the Salvation Army, Busy Kids Montessori School, three burglaries at Heartland Christian School, AA Storage of Highlands County where 13 units were broken into, Triple Pink storage where 19 units were burglarized, police said.

Also hit were Horace Williams Office Products Sales and Service, the American Legion hall, Charlies Steak and Seafood, Sandy's Circle Cafe, Habitat for Humanity and an attempted burglary of Feather's Dry Cleaners.

Some merchandise has been recovered.

"We're in the process of contacting the victims," he added.

Some of the stolen merchandise was sold and some of what was taken was cash, he added.

Carr credits the hard work of Det. Mike Hirsch, Investigator Larry Carmody and Det. Sgt. Curtis Hart.

No other suspects were being sought.

"These were the only two involved," Carr said.

Carr said Friday afternoon the total value of the merchandise stolen in the burglaries was about $15,000 with about $3,800 in property damage from broken doors and locks, and the total value of the recovered property was still being calculated. He believed his detectives recovered most of the stolen merchandise.

Computers were recovered that belonged to the Heartland Christian School as well as Sandy's Circle Cafe.