'Prolific Offender' Left Palm Print Behind at the Scene of a Crime

A “prolific offender” with more than a dozen arrests to his credit might know better than leave a palm print behind at the scene of the crime.

That, however, wasn’t the case in Sarasota Monday morning where deputies say a home in the 3600 block of South Lakewood Ridge Road was burglarized. The homeowner had just come in from work around 10:30 a.m. when he noticed a man standing on his enclosed lanai. The resident watched as the man opened the sliding glass door and attempted to enter the home.

The resident went to his bedroom, grabbed a gun and confronted the burglar in the living room. At that point, an arrest affidavit says, the burglar beat it without taking anything from the home.

While Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office K-9 units were able to track the suspect to a nearby apartment complex, they couldn’t locate the man responsible. That changed when prints were taken from the scene. As it turned out, the burglar entered the lanai through a window he pushed open with his ungloved right hand, leaving behind a rather complete palm print.

With a suspect in mind, deputies brought in the victim to check out a photo lineup. The photo the victim selected matched the person whose palm print was found at the scene.

Justin Blake, 32, was picked up Tuesday and charged with burglary of an occupied dwelling. His bond has been set at $50,000, according to Sarasota County Jail records.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office describes Blake as a “prolific offender” in a media release. He has more than a dozen arrests to his credit on charges ranging from armed robbery to grand theft.

Photo Credit: Sarasota County Jail