A serial car thief in Florida seemingly couldn't resist getting back to his trade just days after making bond. Franklin Sanders, a 20-year-old from Orlando, was arrested on February 16 for the theft of a luxury Mercedes Maybach and then again on February 22 for swiping a BMW sedan, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO). Unlike his slick heists, Sanders couldn't manage to stay out of handcuffs for long after his release from a Broward jail on Monday.
Officials allege that after first being nabbed along with two others for trying to disrupt the GPS of the Maybach in Lauderdale Lakes and leading police to Sunrise, Sanders was booked on grand theft and related charges. According to NBC Miami, the recovered Maybach had been reported stolen from Miami. Released on bond, Sanders was supposed just to lay low, but he apparently decided to instead jump straight back into a stolen car – this time, a BMW traced through multiple counties before his recapture.
Sanders and a 16-year-old male accomplice led deputies on a multi-county chase, with the stolen BMW being tracked through Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. After St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputies tried and failed to stop the vehicle, the pursuit ended in Osceola County where both suspects were apprehended, Local 10 News reported.
The suspect now faces additional charges, including grand theft of a motor vehicle and unoccupied burglary. Amid the ongoing investigations, law enforcement officials from BSO offer a clear reminder to car owners to always securely lock their vehicles and never to leave items such as keys, fobs, and valuables inside, possibly to prevent crafty thieves like Sanders from easily taking their prized possessions.
