Cigarette Leads VCSO To Woman Who Burglarized Home During Hurricane Irma

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DeLeon Springs, FL - DNA on a cigarette butt that was left inside a home that was burglarized during Hurricane Irma has led investigators to the DeLeon Springs woman who broke into the home when the victim evacuated for the storm. According to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, 32-year-old Cassandra Taylor is well known to detectives who are familiar with past burglaries in the DeLeon Springs area. When detectives got the DNA results linking Taylor to the September 9th burglary, the 32-year-old was already in custody at the Volusia County Jail in connection with a separate case. The victim reported the burglary on September 12, 2017. He told deputies that he evacuated his home on Billings Ave. in DeLeon Springs on September 9, and when he came back he found the couches in his living room tipped over and sliced open, his bedroom drawers open, and several items missing from his house. According to VCSO, the stolen property included six purses, 31 pairs of jeans, six pairs of sneakers, 50 chair covers, a DVD player, and a piggy bank full of money. At the time, there were no suspects, but on January 10, detectives investigating another burglary in the area got information that led them to Taylor and 25-year-old Oscar Bravo, who was arrested on Sunday evening. Officials say that because Taylor and Bravo burglarized the home during an officially declared state of emergency, they will face an enhanced charge of burglary to a dwelling during a state of emergency, a first-degree felony, and a charge of grand theft.

(Taylor's mugshot courtesy the Volusia County Jail)

(Bravo's mugshot courtesy the Volusia County Jail)

Photo courtesy Moopixel and Shutterstock.com. Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2018.
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