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20-year-old man arrested in PSL burglaries

Posted at 11:18 AM, May 19, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-19 18:24:23-04

Nancy Watson talks about the moment she knew they had him.

"We went through our footage, and there you go, there you have it.," she says. "We found him. He was touching every car, going to every building."

One detail, specifically, caught her eye.

"It caught that tattoo real clear."

It was that tattoo that lead police to 20-year-old Douglas Schauble

Police say over the last few weeks, he's been breaking into several cars in one Port St. Lucie neighborhood - all of this while wearing a mask.

Police say he grabbed whatever he could.

"Wallets, purses, laptops. cigarettes, lighters," says Master Sergeant Frank Sabol with the Port Saint Lucie Police Department

A week ago they got a break in the case.

Nancy's camera caught him snooping around with his sleeves rolled up...and the artwork on his arm

"The tattoo that was in the video matched up with this guy who had just recently received that tattoo," Sabol says.

Schauble is now facing 8 counts of burglary to a vehicle, 1 county of burglary to a residence, and grand theft.

Nancy says she is happy she was able to help bring peace of mind to her neighbors.

"People work hard to own what they have, and it's just wrong," she says.

She has a warning for other would-be thieves:

"Let it be a lesson - don't come to Port Saint Lucie and try to commit a crime, because we're going to catch you."

Police say Schauble put the stolen items in a book bag, and then in the trash.

Unfortunately for those victims, their property probably won't be recovered.
 

 

EARLIER STORY

Port St. Lucie police said a 20-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a string of recent car burglaries and a home break-in.

Police said Douglas Scott Schauble Jr. of Port St. Lucie was arrested Tuesday and charged with eight counts of burglary to a vehicle, one count of burglary to a residence and grand theft.

On May 12, police released video of a masked suspect who was peering in car windows in the 700 block of SE Autumn Terrace. 

After release of the video, detectives said they received several tips that Schauble was the suspect in the video. 

During the investigation, detectives said they noticed a distinct tattoo on the suspect’s forearm. 

Detectives said when they confronted Schauble, they noticed he had the same tattoo on his forearm. 

Police said Schauble eventually admitted to several burglaries that had taken place around his neighborhood.

Detectives said they later learned that Schauble had placed the stolen items, along with the mask and gloves used in the burglaries, in a book bag. 

Schauble then placed the book bag in the trash, which has since been picked up by waste management.

Schauble was arrested and taken to the St. Lucie County Jail.