Five More from Broward Charged With Break into Boca Home
Quick action by Boca Raton resident is being credited for the arrest of five individuals who allegedly came to Boca Raton to break into houses.
They were identified by police as Jordan Exantus, 16, of Margate; Johan Smith, 20, of Lauderdale Lakes and Javan Hughes, 20, Florisma Hyppolite, 18 and Kansas Derilus, 18, all of North Lauderdale.
At about 11 a.m. Dec. 18, a Glen Oaks resident said a male knocked on her door and asked if “Johnny” was home. The suspect, with his cell phone to his ear, left when he realized someone was home. Finding the interaction suspicious, the resident refused to open the door and immediately called 911.
Officers of the Tac Team quickly closed in on the area. Since multiple officers were responding to the Glen Oaks neighborhood, others went to adjacent neighborhoods. While entering the Boca Madera neighborhood, one Tac Team officer noticed a car matching the vehicle described by the resident parked in front of a house on 32nd Street. The officer then observed a person matching the suspect’s description quickly walking down the driveway toward the car with a cell phone to his ear.
Officers following the car, observed it make an illegal turn on Saint Andrews Boulevard and then proceeded to make a traffic stop. When the driver opened the window, a strong smell of marijuana could be detected, police said.
All five occupants were questioned and the car was searched. Initially, three suspects said they came to visit a friend but didn’t know which house he lived in. Another suspect said he was sleeping. Eventually two suspects allegedly admitted they came to burglarize houses in Boca. While searching the car, officers found two pairs of knit gloves, a knit ski mask, a black knit cap, a utility knife and a metal window punch.
All five suspects were charged with loitering & prowling, possession of burglary tools and possession of marijuana.