A snowbird was shocked to find his stolen ring for sale online.
The snowbird, who splits his time between the Village of Citrus Grove and a home up north, spotted the ring, which had been custom made for him, for sale in an online forum, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department.
The ring and other valuables had been placed in a safe and shipped out of state. When the snowbird saw the ring for sale online, he called a friend up north and asked him to get a locksmith to open the safe. When the safe was opened, the friend confirmed that the ring, along with some collectible coins, was missing.
The snowbird confronted 28-year-old Connor James Sanford, a Vermonter currently living in the West Village apartments in Wildwood. Sanford admitted he had taken the items.
A police officer made contact with Sanford on April 25, while he was outside the jurisdictional boundaries of Wildwood. At the time, Sanford admitted stealing the items and said he had pawned them at Nordic Pawn in Wildwood.
Sanford said he would turn himself in at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Wildwood Police Department. However, the investigating officer received a call from Sanford at 12:26 p.m. Tuesday, indicating he was at Bob’s Bail Bonds in Bushnell. A Sumter County sheriff’s deputy went to Bob’s Bail Bonds and took Sanford into custody. He was booked on charges of grand theft and dealing in stolen property. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $7,500 bond.
