License plate cameras help arrest burglar

Longboat Key license plate recognition cameras helped arrest a 25-year-old Bradenton man June 25 who admitted to committing dozens of burglaries and thefts in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Daniel Lee Upton confessed to burglaries on Longboat Key and Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, where he broke into condominium storage sheds and stole bicycles that were in the possession of area pawn shops.

Longboat Key Police distributed Upton’s arrest information to other area law enforcement agencies, which resulted in “the clearance of dozens of unsolved cases,” according to Longboat Key Police Chief Pete Cumming.

In a July 1 press release, Cumming said numerous bicycles will be returned to owners.

The license plate cameras helped the Longboat Key Police Department realize the suspect was driving on and off the Key frequently and several of his trips matched up to times that crimes were reported.

Upton, a convicted felon with numerous violent offenses including armed robbery, was arrested and placed in the Manatee County Jail. Additional charges are likely.

For more information, pick up a copy of next week’s Longboat Observer.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].