/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/ROMZU2VLSRGXNMIT24MJRJW5EM.jpg "The exterior of the Sam Ash Music store’s Clearwater location is seen Thursday. A Clearwater man is facing a burglary charge after police said he broke into the store — and survived a three-story fall in the process.")
A Clearwater man is facing a burglary charge after police said he broke into a Sam Ash Music store — and survived a three-story fall in the process.
Police said the man broke into the music store, which is located on McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater and used to be a large open banquet hall and for decades was the popular restaurant Kapok Tree Inn, at about 4:45 a.m. on Oct. 20. The man got into the building through a window near the roof and walked a perimeter ledge around the building. He then lost his balance and fell three stories, striking a lamp post and a guitar display on the way down, police reports state.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/FXT6SUKPCNDRRCV2OSZH3LFHDE.jpg "The exterior of the Sam Ash Music store’s Clearwater location is seen Thursday. A Clearwater man is facing a burglary charge after police said he broke into the store — and survived a three-story fall in the process.")
The suspect used an amplifier to break through a glass door and leave the building, police said. He left a trail of blood, which was connected to him via DNA analysis, according to court documents.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/ZLTE2CHFZRAFPJIBJP6ZDJ4DGU.jpg "The exterior of the Sam Ash Music store’s Clearwater location is seen Thursday. A Clearwater man is facing a burglary charge after police said he broke into the store — and survived a three-story fall in the process.")
Police reviewed videos from five different Ring camera surveillance systems, which showed a vehicle driving around the area that resembled the suspect’s 2009 four-door, silver Kia Spectra. An equipment trailer burglary was reported around the same time. The suspect was also arrested in connection with that case.
The suspect was arrested March 10. He was released from the Pinellas County jail two days later on $10,000 bail.
The Tampa Bay Times does not name suspects in brief stories about minor crimes.
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