The manager of the Best Buy on Cattlemen Road became suspicious after watching security video Tuesday of four men acting strangely inside his store.

It appeared they could have been casing the place for a burglary.

The manager called the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and it set up a late-night surveillance inside the store.

About midnight, two men, wearing masks and gloves, pried open a door and tried to steal some electronics inside the store. One suspect, Manuel Castellanos, of Fort Lauderdale, was captured immediately. A second, Yonady Montejo, of Miami, was caught after a short foot chase outside.

The two had allegedly stolen a van from Sarasota Memorial Hospital, hot-wired it and driven it to Best Buy.

Detectives say a third suspect, Remigio Valez-Lao, of Miami, was outside the store in a car and was acting as a lookout. Valdez-Lao sped away when his the other two men were captured, but deputies were able to track him down and arrest him, too.

Deputies are searching for the fourth suspect.

All four are suspects in burglaries at two Sarasota marine-supply stores on the same night and are suspected in several thefts at marine-supply, electronics, cell-phone and jewelry stores around the state.

Contact Robin Roy at rroy@yourobserver.com.

 

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