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Suspect Arrested In Wesley Chapel Home Burglary Spree

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By JULIA FERRANTE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 4, 2008

A Land O' Lakes man was arrested Sunday, accused of burglarizing 12 homes in newer Wesley Chapel neighborhoods hugging State Road 54.

Darrin Mason Whritenour, 21, of 15451 Plantation Drive, was arrested and charged with 12 counts of burglary, 11 counts of grand theft and one count of criminal mischief. The burglaries began in June and happened between 10:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., when residents were not home, according to Pasco County Sheriff's Office reports.

The last incident was Saturday. Whritenour was arrested just after midnight Sunday.

In most cases, residents reported that someone had broken into their homes by prying open a sliding glass door or window.

Losses in each incident were between $1,000 and $5,000 worth of items, including televisions - mostly plasma or flat-screens as large as 47 inches - an electric guitar and keyboard, laptop, digital camera, camcorder, cellular phone, watches, jewelry and money, according to the sheriff's reports.

In some cases, witnesses reported seeing a car belonging to Whritenour in the driveway.

He is thought to have acted alone and removed the items himself, officials said.

Whritenour told deputies he was involved in a string of robberies in Wesley Chapel and said he pawned the TVs, according to reports. In one case, he told deputies, he cut himself on glass, leaving blood behind.

He was being held at the Land O' Lakes Jail on Sunday with bail set at $116,050.

Reporter Julia Ferrante can be reached at (813) 948-4220 or jferrante@tampatrib.com.

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