Antonio Lamar Culver had been on a crime spree for several months, according to Apopka Police.
Culver was released from prison on January 2, 2016. He had been sentenced to serve 23 months on charges of Grand Theft and Burglary in May 2014. He served 19 months and was released to serve 5 years probation.
APD Crime Analyst Holly Roell first noticed a pattern that connected several vehicle burglaries with the illegal use of credit cards in late June. She notified APD officers and detectives who were able to collect surveillance video from various sources including HOA, home and business surveillance cameras.
APD Detective Steven Landry was one of the detectives who reviewed the surveillance videos. Landry determined that there was one person consistently seen in the videos. Working with other detectives including APD Detective Graber he was able to identify the person as Antonio Lamar Culver. Arrest warrants were obtained and the hunt for Culver began.
On July 11th a green Kia Soul was reported stolen in Apopka. This vehicle would be the key to solving dozens of crimes in Apopka.
Landry was able to find videos showing Culver driving a green Kia Soul. A records check showed that Culver's drivers license had been suspended in April of 2016 and that no vehicles were registered in his name.
On July 20 a green Kia Soul was reported as having fled from the Maitland Police Department and was last seen headed towards Apopka on SR 414.
APD responded and officers began searching for the vehicle near the Keene Road exit on 414.
The Kia was spotted several times but the driver was able to elude capture. APD units continued to search the area and ultimately found the vehicle abandoned in the woods near 11th Street and Derby Avenue in Apopka. The owner of the Kia came to the scene and positively identified the abandoned Kia as his.
According to another surveillance video, a green Kia Soul had been in the parking lot of the RDV Sportsplex in Maitland during the time a burglary had occurred there. The video showed Culver in the car as it exited the RDV parking lot. Records showed that ten minutes later an attempt to use a credit card stolen from RDV was made at the Apopka Walmart.
On August 31st photos from the RDV video were obtained and were shown to the owner of the stolen green Kia Soul. The owner was able to positively identity the vehicle as his based upon a unique sticker on the back window.
By now everyone at APD was on the lookout for Culver. Early on the morning of September 1st APD received several reports of overnight vehicle burglaries. One of the victims reported that a stolen credit card had been used at the Apopka Walmart. At approximately 5:30 AM Officer Jennifer Mellon entered the Walmart and spoke with the manager. The manager was very cooperative and pointed out a man who had come in and out of the store several times that morning. It was Culver.
As Culver exited the store the path to his car was blocked by Sergeant Steve Harmon who had just arrived to provide backup for Mellon. Harmon chased Culver through the Walmart parking lot. Culver jumped a fence in his effort to flee. Unfortunately, for Culver, he landed in a retention pond. Because he could not swim Culver called out for help. Harmon dove into the pond and rescued Culver before placing him under arrest.
"Culver's arrest was a total team effort," said Captain Randy Fernandez. "It obviously started with great work by our Crime Analyst, Holly Roell. But the detectives and patrol officers worked together to get this career criminal off the streets of Apopka. It sometimes takes time to collect all of the evidence needed. Our people worked on this case nearly every day for several weeks."
How long will Culver be off the streets of Apopka?
"That depends," responded Fernandez. "We now need the public's help. Hopefully all of Culver's victims will be willing to cooperate with his prosecution. Some will be reluctant for various reasons, but there are programs available to assist victims whose cooperation might cause a hardship."
What can Apopkans do to avoid becoming victims?
"Lock your car doors," advises Fernandez. "And do not leave anything of value in your cars. Although most vehicle burglaries in Apopka are the result of unlocked doors, thieves will break a window if they see something of value. For Culver it was purses and wallets, because he was after credit cards. For others it might be cameras or computers."
"Lastly, we need Apopkans to report all suspicious behavior they know about. A thief may take only some coins from your car one night but might steal your neigboor's camera the next night. We use the crime reports to determine how best to patrol the streets."
Culver has been charged with at least 90 separate counts ranging from vehicle burglary to the illegal use of credit cards. A partial list of charges filed against Culver include:
Use this link to see the full list of charges filed against Antonio Lamar Culver.
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