Jacob Oretga mugshot courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - Whether you see them as practical or a fashion faux pas, a pair of Crocs helped land a Florida man behind bars after deputies say he broke into Brooksville bakery and stole money for food and alcohol.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, a suspect clad in a black sweatshirt, black pants, and red Crocs broke into Crumbl Cookie, located at 7069 Coastal Boulevard in Brooksville, through a side door and stole cash from the safe and register.
Deputies say the suspect was also carrying a brown and black backpack and had a black mask on his face.
Detectives say the manager of Crumbl Cookie told them that former employee Jacob Ortega may be the accused burglar because he always wore red Crocs and carried a brown and black backpack.
Investigators tracked down the owner of a car they believed the suspect got into on the night of the burglary and say he told them that Ortega called him around 2 a.m. and asked for a ride to the Coastal Plaza, where Crumbl Cookie is located, so he could make a drug deal.
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The vehicle’s owner said he dropped Ortega off at the plaza and later picked him up near the Home Goods store.
According to HCSO, the vehicle’s owner told detectives that Ortega said he got money from Crumbl Cookie and put some of the money inside the vehicle to "hold on to."
Detectives say the man allowed them to look into the vehicle and that’s where they found cash in the glove compartment. They took the cash as evidence.
HCSO says when detectives spoke with Ortega, he admitted to his involvement in the burglary and added that he still had codes to the door, safe, and register from when he was employed there, and used the codes to gain access to the business and subsequently to the cash.
Investigators say Ortega told them that he spent most of the money on food and alcohol for himself and his friends and that the rest of it was stored in his friend's vehicle.
Ortega was arrested and charged with burglary, grand theft, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.
The burglary is still under investigation.