Serial bank burglary suspect arrested in Spring Hill
SPRING HILL –
A suspect believed to be responsible for a string of serial bank burglaries in multiple jurisdictions since Dec. 3, most occurring in Hernando County during nighttime hours, was arrested Thursday by Hernando County detectives at a residence off Boyd Lane in Spring Hill, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
Tyrone Michael Brinkley, 44, was transported to the Hernando County Detention Center and charged with burglary to an unoccupied structure and operating a motor vehicle without a license.
Brinkley is being held without bond.
The crimes have occurred in Hernando County, the City of Brooksville, Pasco County, Hillsborough County and City of Tampa, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Biometrics Unit collected DNA samples from two separate burglaries that occurred in Hernando County, one within the city limits and one outside the city limits of Brooksville. It was later confirmed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that the DNA samples were a match.
The department found that there were no matches to the DNA samples within the state of Florida; however, upon conducting a nationwide search on the DNA sample, investigators noted it matched that of a suspect in a 2004 North Carolina case.
Contact was made with Durham Police Department in North Carolina, and suspect information was provided to Hernando County detectives. The suspect had been arrested for identical crimes and spent time in the North Carolina Department of Corrections.
Hernando County detectives located an address on the suspect. A search warrant was executed on the residence. Detectives located the clothing worn during several of the burglaries, as well as tools that were used during commission of the crimes.
This investigation was conducted in conjunction with the Brooksville Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Durham Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI.
“Criminology teaches us that a suspect always leaves evidence at the scene of a crime,” Sheriff Al Nienhuis said. “Here is another example where technology was used to find, collect and process that evidence, allowing us to put a serial burglar behind bars. Every day it gets more difficult for career criminals to avoid justice, especially when you have well-trained forensic technicians as part of your team. Our forensics unit, along with several other members of the sheriff’s office, can take credit for solving this multi-county case.”
The investigation continues and additional charges are still pending.
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