Teen Brothers Burglarized Sarasota Vape Shop Twice In 2 Days: Sheriff

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Two teenage brothers face charges after burglarizing the same Sarasota vape shop in two days, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Elijah Ismael Gonzalez, 18, and his 17-year-old brother were charged with burglary to an unoccupied structure.

While deputies released the younger suspect's name, it is Patch's policy not to identify those in the juvenile court system. Patch has reached out to MCSO about whether the suspect is being charged as an adult or juvenile.

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Due to the ongoing burglary trend involving vape shops, deputies conducted undercover surveillance early Monday morning. Just after 4 a.m., they learned about a burglary in process at City of Vapors at 8321 Lockwood Ridge Road.

As deputies approached the shop, two suspects ran off through a breezeway that leads to the rear of the shopping plaza, the sheriff’s office said.

One suspect was found trying to hide with the help of a K9 officer, who bit his ankle, according to MCSO. Minutes later, the second suspect was found in the 8400 block of Cypress Lake Circle.

The brothers admitted to the burglaries, telling investigators they got the idea after hearing about a current vape store burglary trend.

Detectives don’t believe they’re involved with the same group of suspects that have been burglarizing vape stores in Manatee and Sarasota counties over the last two months, the sheriff’s office said. Since Nov. 1, MCSO detectives have investigated eight burglaries of vape shops in Manatee County.