A 16-year-old Sarasota boy is facing a felony burglary charge after police say he tried to force his way into an occupied apartment, then leapt from an open second-story window while trying to escape officers who had tracked his movements using a police drone. Kimoni F. Jordan was taken into custody immediately after the fall and suffered injuries during the drop, according to police.
A Stolen Car, a Ditch, and a Foot Chase
The chain of events began when Officers Leveridge and Christie attempted a traffic stop near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Lemon Avenue, according to a probable cause affidavit cited by Tampa Free Press. The vehicle, which had been reported stolen to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, sped away before ending up in a ditch along Lemon Avenue, the outlet reports. Its occupants then ran away on foot, scattering into the surrounding neighborhood.
Officers Applebee and Kluscynska spotted Jordan running south across Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way between Leon and Orange avenues, per the affidavit. From there, the report says, he entered Janie's Garden Apartment complex, where Ring security cameras captured him crouching, walking evasively, and hiding behind pillars along a second-floor walkway.
Drone Operator Guides Officers to the Scene
With the suspects scattered, officers set up a containment perimeter around the neighborhood and launched an aerial drone to locate them, the affidavit states. Officer Sipe operated the drone while Sgt. Stoll relayed live position updates to ground units, allowing officers to close in on Jordan's location at the apartment complex.
The drone deployment reflects a broader expansion of aerial tools among Central Florida police agencies. Sarasota PD has previously used a situational-awareness platform to share real-time drone video and coordinate specialized units during a critical incident, and Police1 notes that the department also used the same system during recent hurricanes to give the Emergency Operations Center real-time photos and video from the field. Nearby, Orlando has approved more than $6.8 million for a fleet of 11 drones, while Kissimmee police now assign drones to patrol officers for round-the-clock coverage, according to a report from ClickOrlando, which also recounted an Orlando drone tracking a suspected burglar fleeing across a rooftop.
Kicked Door, Window Jump, and an Occupied Apartment
Back at Janie's Garden, Officer Applebee reportedly witnessed Jordan attempting to kick in an apartment door with the back of his foot, and he tried door handles on several other units along the walkway. Security footage showed three kicks to the apartment entrance in total, the affidavit says. A woman and her children were inside the apartment at the time, per the report.
As officers moved in, Jordan jumped from an open second-story window in an attempt to escape, according to the affidavit. Ground-level officers took him into custody immediately after the fall. Officer Zappone then took Jordan to a local hospital for a medical evaluation before he was processed into the Sarasota County Juvenile Assessment Center.
Phone Left Behind Becomes Key Evidence
Jordan told officers he had been riding in the passenger seat of the stolen vehicle and had left his mobile phone inside it, the affidavit states. Sarasota County Sheriff's Deputy Everett recovered the vehicle, and investigators later located Jordan's phone wedged between the passenger seat and the door frame, according to the same account.
Jordan was arrested shortly after 11 p.m. on Oct. 13 and formally charged the following day with burglary of an occupied dwelling. Under Florida law, burglary is classified as a second-degree felony when a person enters or remains in a dwelling while someone else is present and does not commit an assault or become armed, according to Florida Statutes. The case remains under active investigation, the Tampa Free Press report notes.
Why Jordan's Name Was Released
Jordan's identity has been made public because Florida law permits disclosure of a minor's name, photograph, address, and arrest record when the child is taken into custody for conduct that would be a felony if committed by an adult, per Florida Statutes. Separately, state law generally bars police agencies from using drones to gather evidence unless a specific exception applies, including when officers have reasonable suspicion that swift action is needed to prevent imminent danger, stop an imminent escape, or prevent the destruction of evidence, according to the same statutory framework.
