Men stole electronics from UCF for 'fun,' police say

Suspects accused of trying to sell stolen camera on Craigslist

ORLANDO, Fla. – A group of men broke into the University of Central Florida Student Union and stole thousands of dollars worth of electronics, which they then tried to sell on Craigslist, according to police.

The robbery happened around 2:45 a.m. July 26. UCF police said surveillance video showed a group of five men entering the building through an unlocked door, then going to the third floor of the Student Union, checking for unlocked offices.

A Canon digital camera and accessories, a Dell computer tower, a Mitsubishi projector, a Sony camera, a microphone, an Apple Macbook Air, a projector screen and an iPad were stolen, according to the police report.

The day after the burglary, an ad was posted on Craigslist offering to sell the Canon camera and the lens for $500, police said. An undercover officer responded to the ad and agreed to meet with the seller at a Starbucks near campus on Tuesday, according to the affidavit.

Brothers Justin and Jay Reyes met with the undercover officer at the Starbucks and agreed to be taken to the UCF police department after the officer told them that the serial number on the camera matched the one from the stolen camera, the report said.

Police said the men confessed to the burglary and implicated a 17-year-old boy, Jonas Alonso, 18, and Gant Anderson, 20, in the crime as well.

Electronics stolen from UCF Student Union.

The stolen items were found at Justin and Jay Reyes' home on Carina Drive, according to the report.

All five suspects have been arrested on charges related to the burglary.

UCF police said one of the men told them that the group committed the burglary for "fun." None of the suspects are affiliated with the university.

"UCFPD’s message to potential thieves? Don’t.  If people come to UCF and victimize students and faculty and staff members, rest assured that UCFPD officers and detectives will work exhaustively to hold those criminals accountable," the agency said in a news release. 


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