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Man Gets Five Years For Burglarizing Vehicles At Molino Park Elementary, Other Locations
June 9, 2016
A man that burglarized several vehicles in the parking lot of Molino Park Elementary School and other locations in the North Escambia area is headed to prison.
Brett Derel McDonald was found guilty on multiple counts of armed burglary of a vehicle, grand theft of a firearm, grand theft and petit theft. He was sentenced by Judge Joel Boles to five years in state prison.
On November 16, 2015, a parent who had just walked her child into Molino Park Elementary School noticed McDonald in the school parking lot pulling on vehicle door handles before entering a Chevrolet Equinox. The vehicle owner told deputies that nothing was taken. The parent called the school and watched as McDonald went to more vehicles in the parking lot before being confronted by the school principal. The principal told deputies she knew McDonald because has a child in the school, and that he left the campus in a dark colored Mustang.
About 2 p.m. the same day, deputies responded to a vehicle burglary on Calderwood Court where the owner reported multiple items stolen, including a designer purse and wallet, paper work, credit cards and other items totaling about $285 in value.
About half an hour later., deputies responded to another vehicle burglary in the 9000 block of Fowler Avenue. The owner reported that sometime during the past day, someone stole three firearms from his vehicle along with a box of ammunition.
And later that same day, a vehicle owner reported that a radar detector was taken from her Dodge Charger while it was parked during the school day at Molino Park Elementary.
The weapons, ammunition, wallet, purse, radar detector and other items were recovered when McDonald was taken into custody at his home in the 400 block of 9½ Mile Road. None of the stolen firearms were taken from vehicles the Molino Park campus, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Comments
14 Responses to “Man Gets Five Years For Burglarizing Vehicles At Molino Park Elementary, Other Locations”
I don’t need to say anything. Agree with “whatthecheckman” .
He stole guns among other items. He didn’t steal the guns for self defense (not that it would be a valid reason), but to make money. That means those guns were destined for the armed robbers, drug dealers, and murderers of our community. This guy would have been secondarily responsible for trauma, suffering, or death of who knows how many people. Guns belong in the hands of responsible people, not those who would trade or sell them for drugs. This isn’t youthful indiscretion, this is an adult who has made a series of choices to break the law and not care about anyone else.
5 years is too little.
@ Sam–look at his arrest history — ref. stolen GUNS. Public Defender or not his history helped to get him 5 years.
Looking at his arrest record, time for doing some time. Possibly the one who robbed a number of cars in our neighborhood. I live not far from where he was arrested. Five years may not be enough to change his behavior
Just a good–sweet–nice person? Pull up his arrest history and you may rethink your comments.He has received a lot of “breaks” and none have worked. Off to hard time and then nothing to look forward to. Breaking into cars where your kid goes to school and where you are known , not a winner.
@ whattheheckman:
Wow, from what you say, this is all the more tragic. What a waste, & loss of potential!
I’ve gotta watch what I say carefully here, bcuz the person modding the comments will not publish MY comment if they don’t like what I say, no matter if it is objectionable or not, kinda like old Russia or Nazi Germany.
Five years is way too long for a non-violent crime. He can’t make the money he needs to pay all this back from a jail cell. A good lawyer would’ve gotten him 1 – 2 years.
I worked with Brett. Was he a good kid? Yes… to some degree. I’m by no means excusing his actions. However, I can tell you he got wrapped up in the wrong mindset. He truly had potential and don’t think I didn’t personally try to encourage him to use the skills he had in our trade to further his life. I will say this.. We were both on jobs making $30+ an hour. That’s why his choices are inexcusable. That said, maybe he can come out on top of this situation as he should if he takes this wake up call and learns from it. It is sad that he’s going down the road for stupid decisions. The victims, however, deserve justice. I see many people on here jump on the bandwagon when in fact they don’t know all the facts. In summation, this is a good kid who made the wrong choices. Is he a knucklehead? Believe it. Just pray that he ain’t you’re kid. Pray that he finds help and repays his debt to society. Pray that the victims of his crime can find forgiveness. Pray that we as a society can prevent the next young man or woman from going down this path. Now, I’m no saint. Furthermore, please don’t get on here and throw stones in a glass house because I guarantee you our youth need our help more than ever. Some of them are in your families as well as mine.
That’s as bad as the one parent that wrote the bad check at the school carnival a couple years ago
Only five years come on now. That’s barely any time to think about what he did
Brett went to school with my daughter. They graduated in 2009. I really hate seeing this. He was always a really sweet child.
5 years? He must’ve only had a public defender.
He could have been finished with college in 5 years! How do we spread the word to high school students, “Where will you be in 5 years?”. Surely this man was in high school, not too long ago.
Thinking of you Brittany & Z- man!