Orange Park Police are asking the public to help identify a man caught on surveillance cameras slipping into multiple unlocked vehicles and at least one unlocked home during the overnight hours of Sunday, August 23. The break-ins struck neighborhoods surrounding DeBarry Avenue and Gano Avenue, a residential corridor in the heart of town, and investigators say several burglaries occurred in the area that night.
According to a post from the Orange Park Police Department on Facebook, the pictured individual is considered a burglary suspect after entering multiple unlocked vehicles and one unlocked residence. Police are asking anyone who recognizes him to come forward. As reported by Action News Jax, the department released surveillance images pulled from local cameras in hopes that someone in the community can put a name to the face before the suspect strikes again.
A Neighborhood Anchored by a Somber Landmark
The targeted area around DeBarry and Gano avenues includes Somer's Sunshine Park, a neighborhood park created at that exact intersection in 2012 in memory of 7-year-old Somer Thompson, per the same reporting cited above. The park has long served as a central landmark for the surrounding blocks, giving the string of overnight burglaries a sharply local flavor for residents who pass it daily.
Detective Randy Tennant is listed as the point of contact for anyone with tips, reachable at (904) 264-5555. Tennant was officially recognized by the Orange Park Town Council in March, and he also serves as a certified bicycle patrol instructor for the department, according to Clay Today.
What the Charges Could Look Like
Under Florida Statute § 810.02, entering an unlocked vehicle without permission to commit a theft is charged as burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to Hanlon Law. Notably, Florida law does not require a car to be locked or forced open for the entry to still qualify as a felony.
The unlocked home entry raises the stakes considerably. Unlawfully entering an unoccupied dwelling to commit a crime is classified as burglary of a dwelling, a second-degree felony that can bring up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, per Goldman Wetzel. That distinction means whoever is identified in the photos could face far more serious exposure than a typical car break-in case.
Leadership and a Small Department Covering a Compact Town
The investigation falls under newly installed leadership at the department. Chief of Police Cody Monroe was sworn in on June 2 after a 19-year career with the agency and a unanimous 5-0 vote from the town council, succeeding retired chief Randy Case after serving as assistant chief. The Town of Orange Park itself covers just 5.32 square miles in northern Clay County, with a population of 9,089 as of the 2020 U.S. Census, and its police department fields roughly 26 to 27 sworn officers providing round-the-clock patrol and investigative coverage for that footprint.
Historical FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data shows the town recorded 153 larceny-thefts, 19 burglaries, and 11 motor vehicle thefts in a single reporting year, underscoring how property crimes like unlocked-vehicle break-ins remain the most common police matter in town even in a department of that size.
Part of a Rougher Stretch for the Area
The August 23 burglary spree lands amid a rougher stretch for the broader Orange Park area. Just two days later, on August 25, a homeowner on Grafton Drive shot a fleeing auto-theft suspect who had hidden inside a garage, a case Hoodline previously covered. Taken together, the incidents point to a stretch of late-August property crime activity across Clay County that has kept both residents and police on alert.
For now, the identity of the man in the surveillance photos remains unknown, and police are relying on the public to help close that gap. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Tennant at the number listed above.
