MACCLENNY, Fla.-- Police say all it took was a crowbar, two people and less than two months to break into more than 50 homes, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of valuables.
Even more jaw dropping, the Jacksonville couple's burglaries stretched across two counties: Baker and Duval.
"He is a professional burglar," said Baker County Sheriff Joey Dobson. "He is the real deal. It took him some time, but he did confess."
After months of trying to get to the bottom of the burglaries, all it took was one simple seat-belt stop by Baker County deputy Christopher Walker to stop the string of thefts.
"As an officer, you are always expecting the unexpected," he said.
Walker told Action News he identified the vehicle driven by the duo.
"At that point I realized I had the bad guys," he said. "I walked back to my vehicle and asked for other units to come to me."
Action News has learned the male suspect, Charles Wayne, is no stranger to breaking the law. Already a nine-time convicted felon, he previously served 12 years in state prison. Police say that's where he met his partner in crime, Julie Driggers.
The Baker County Sheriff's Office says there's still work to be done in the investigation along with JSO but at least they can provide some closure to those homes that were violated.
"I spoke to all the victims this morning, and they were real pleased that we were able to solve this crime," said Dobson.
The couple's method of burglary was to break in when nobody was home, so no homeowners were harmed.
