Two Charged In Alan Jay Burglary
By JOE SEELIG

SEBRING — Highlands County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested two Sebring men, charging them in connection with the burglary of two Alan Jay Automotive Network dealerships and the theft of a vehicle and tools.

James Michael Fleming, 21, of 9630 McRoy Road, was released on $6,500 bail Wednesday, on charges of possession of burglary tools with intent to use, criminal mischief damage to property more than $200 but less than $1,000, grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft $10,000 or more but less than $20,000, burglary of a structure and possession of a vehicle with altered identification numbers.

Fleming also had to pay $252 bail on a Clay County warrant on an undisclosed charge.

Eliezer “Ely” Feliciano, 19, of 1618 Koy Drive, remained in Highlands County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail on the same charges as Fleming, not including the out of county warrant.

Feliciano was also being held without bond on charges of four counts of violation of probation for two counts of dealing in stolen property, burglary of a conveyance and burglary of a structure.

According to the arrest report, on Feb. 20, the car dealership reported that sometime between 7 p.m. Feb. 19 and 5:30 a.m. Feb. 20, someone cut a hole in a fence at the Chrysler dealership and broke into a trailer.

A Honda TRX 450ER four-wheel all-terrain vehicle valued at $16,000 was stolen along with a tool box valued at $700, a Thor helmet valued at $300 a set of Axis shocks valued at $2,800 were taken.

At 4 p.m. Feb. 22, the ATV was recovered in the area of Wolf Lake Road.

A friend of the victim recognized the ATV being ridden by a male. The machine had been repainted and the vehicle identification number was removed.

The rider was Fleming, who claimed he bought the machine from someone in Lake Wales and that he agreed to pay $4,000, but only gave the person $2,000 in advance. He did not have any receipt, could not describe the person he bought it from, nor could he give an address, the report states.

Shoe prints taken from Fleming matched shoe prints from the Chrysler dealership as well as an Alan Jay Chevrolet dealership, the report stated.

By Feb. 27, Fleming reportedly admitted to the burglary. Further investigative work later linked Feliciano to the burglary.

A search warrant of the McRoy address led to the discovery of numerous items reported stolen from several auto dealerships, according to the report.