Arrest Made in Clearwater Home Invasion, Kidnapping

A 37-year-old man faces felony charges after Clearwater Police say broke into an elderly man’s home Tuesday.

The incident took place in the 100 block of North Arcturas Avenue, launching a search for a man with a “distinctive dragon tattoo on the left side of his neck.” Police also said their suspect had a blue wrist brace or cast on his right arm.

Police were able to get a visual on the suspect courtesy of the man’s decision to use a debit card stolen during the crime at Wells Fargo Bank ATM on Gulf to Bay Boulevard. The man, police said, used the ATM within an hour of the crime.

With a photo from the ATM’s surveillance camera in hand, detectives spent Wednesday afternoon checking with nearby businesses to see if anyone recognized the man.

The canvassing paid off when several residents said the man in the photo happened to live in the neighborhood. A store owner also told police the man worked on Drew Street. With that information in hand, detectives stopped by the business and ultimately ended up at the suspect’s home at 2236 Gulf to Bay Blvd., in the Boulevard Estates mobile home park.

Police say they received written consent to search the man’s home and found the clothing worn in the crime, along with a firearm stolen from the victim’s home.

Rey Francisco Perez Chacon was brought into custody Wednesday night. He faces armed home invasion robbery, kidnapping, aggravated battery, fraudulent use of a card, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of heroin charges, an email from the police department to media stated.

Chacon had not yet been booked into the Pinellas County Jail as of Thursday morning.

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