South Daytona, FL - South Daytona Police say they caught 37-year-old Latravia McGill, a convicted felon, almost in the act of committing a burglary at the Judicial Corrections Service Office early this morning. Officers found McGill as he getting on his bicycle in the parking lot next to the office he had robbed, just before 2 a.m.
The first officer arrived to find an open door that appeared to be severely damaged. A bicycle was seen parked next to the dumpsters. The front door was open and one officer stationed himself there. A second officer went inside the office and announced himself. He reported that he could hear someone moving around as he was announcing himself but got no response.
The officer watching the front door reported a black male had gotten on the bicycle and was riding away. He ignored the instructions to stop and kept pedaling away from the officers. They gave chase on foot across Beville Road and saw McGill drop a large white circular item on the ground. The item is identified as an audible business alarm speaker sensor.
McGill got off his bicycle after he crossed Beville Road because his chain had broken. The officers again commanded him to stop and lay on the ground. They finally had to Taser him. As they were putting on the handcuffs, McGill said that he did not commit the burglary. A witness who lived at the assisted living center where McGill was taken into custody told police that McGill had come through the yard and asked if he could use the restroom. The witness told him to go into the woods for that. He told officers the next time he saw McGill was when the officers chased him back across Beville Road. McGill told officers he'd been in the witness' yard for 10 minutes but the witness said that was not the case.
The business owner arrived to secure the business and the alarm that had been picked up by the officers began going off. McGill continued to deny the burglary, saying he had been in the witness' yard when the burglary took place. He said he had the alarm in his possession because he found it on the ground next to the dumpster where his bicycle was parked. He said he picked it up because he thought it was trash.
McGill is already on probation and inmate release for burglary. Records with Volusia County Jail show that he's been arrested 17 times since 2001 when he was 19-years-old.
McGill is charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure by actually and intentionally forcing entry into the building without the permission of the owner. He was found to be in possession of one glove, one flat head screwdriver used to pry the door open, and one large knife with approximately a one-foot blade on it that are suspected to be used during the burglary with a bent blade.
Since McGill is on probation for a previous burglary, this attempt violates his probation. He remains in the Volusia County Jail being held on no bond.
