ORLANDO, Fla. – A suspected burglar was arrested on charges he caused thousands of dollars in damages at an elementary school last year after DNA tests completed last month linked him to the break-in, as reported by Local 6 partner Florida Today.
Timothy "Rocky" Redding, was arrested on burglary, criminal mischief and grand theft charges after Palm Bay detectives were notified about the DNA test results.
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Police said Redding's DNA had already been previously collected in an unrelated incident and that a swab taken from a box at the school following an Oct. 11, 2011 break-in at Palm Bay Elementary School was matched to his genetic profile.
Several buildings at the campus at 1200 Allamanda Ave. had been vandalized that day with several thousand dollars in school property stolen, reports show.
More than $1,000 in property damage was also left behind, reports show.
Redding admitted he had been on school grounds but that he did not steal any items when confronted by detectives on Monday about the DNA findings, reports show.
It was not immediately known if any of the items taken from the school campus were ever recovered.
He will have a July 3 court hearing on the charges.