Hillsborough County deputies arrested a suspected serial car thief Saturday night who authorities have been seeking since last month.
Jason Glene Zook, 28, was arrested about 9 p.m. near the Palm Lake Apartments at 50th Street and Fletcher Avenue.
Authorities said they had been looking for Zook since surveillance video showed him breaking in to two vehicles at St. Joseph's Hospital. He was later caught on video using a credit card taken in the break-in at a store four days later, authorities said.
Authorities said Zook broke into a vehicle parked at Busch Gardens on Dec. 17; stole a Ford Explorer from the parking lot of Lowry Park on Jan. 10; and committed a string of car break-ins today at Lowry Park Zoo.
He seemed to have a preference for Dodge products, officials said: he broke into five Dodges at the zoo. At the time, Tampa police say, Zook was driving a Dodge Dakota pickup stolen from the University of South Florida.
He later dumped the truck near Interstate 4 and U.S. Highway 301 and fled in a Dodge Ram truck, they added.
J.D. Callaway, a spokesman for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, said special Sheriff's Targeted Area Response teams staked out places Zook liked to frequent, and one arrested him after a short foot chase.
"The hunch paid off," he said.
A report said Zook was carrying a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol from one of the burglaries when he was arrested.
Authorities said Zook would punch a vehicle's door lock with a small screwdriver and steal cash, small electronics and women's purses.
Police and deputies have numerous pending charges against Zook.
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