Two men from Jacksonville are in the Volusia County jail Monday, accused of a multi-county crime spree involving Apple watches. According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Tavaris Kelly, 37, and John Harkless, 33, stole four Apple watches valued at nearly $2,000 from the T-Mobile store on Palm Coast Parkway.
Deputies responded to the store Friday night, and an employee told them she watched the two men, wearing construction uniforms, steal the watches and then drive off in a U-Haul van. While at the store, deputies are made aware of a similar incident the night before in a Jacksonville T-Mobile store.
Flagler County deputies utilized their Real Time Crime Center technology and were able to track a U-Haul van travelling south on I-95 toward Volusia County. When deputies attempted to stop the van it took off. Daytona Beach Police found the U-Haul abandoned in an apartment complex.
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Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies were notified that Kelly and Harkless were arrested at a Walmart by Daytona Beach Police. The men were attempting to return the stolen Apple watches, according to police.
“The technology we have implemented allows us to quickly find these people and law enforcement knows no boundaries when it comes to working together in our area to apprehend criminals,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley said. “I suggest the Jacksonville criminals stay in Jacksonville as we will get you and arrest you if you come here.”
The men face a list of charges including Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property. Harkless, also has two active warrants from Duval County for Armed Robbery with a Firearm or Deadly Weapon and Robbery with a total $1,000,000 bond. Kelly’s arrest history in Jacksonville is many pages long, with 23 felony arrests.
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