Weekend crime report includes a burglary suspect caught in the act by a business owner
Ken’Deric Morton (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mug shot)
for service and conducting 124 traffic stops.
Traffic Stop Turns Into Pursuit
Just after midnight on Sunday, deputies attempted to stop a gold Cadillac sedan on Belle Terre Boulevard in Palm Coast due to an obstructed license plate. The driver, later identified as James Timmons, 28, of Palm Coast, failed to stop despite activated lights and sirens.
Timmons made multiple turns before reaching a cul-de-sac on Kaydot Court, where he attempted to turn around. As the vehicle maneuvered in the dead-end street, deputies observed Timmons throwing an object toward a drainage ditch.
Deputies blocked the vehicle and initiated a high-risk traffic stop. Timmons immediately exited holding a cellphone and initially failed to fully comply with commands, intermittently dropping his hands and turning away before eventually lying on the ground. Deputies secured him without incident.
After the arrest, deputies recovered a vaping device from the grass near the drainage ditch, which Timmons denied owning. A search of his vehicle revealed marijuana in jeans on the floorboard, a jar with marijuana residue in the driver’s door, and a THC pen in the trunk. Deputies also learned Timmons had a suspended license for unpaid traffic fines.
“This guy should not have been driving in the first place, and he definitely should not have tried to run from deputies,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Unfortunately for him, his attempt to flee was short-lived because he turned onto a dead-end road and had nowhere else to go. Now he earned himself a trip to the Green Roof Inn on multiple felony charges.”
Timmons was arrested on charges including fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer with lights and sirens activated, possession of hashish, tampering with evidence, possession of marijuana (20 grams or less), possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving while license suspended. He was released from the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on $9,000 bond.
James Timmons (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mug shot)
Business Owner Catches Repeat Thief
In the early morning hours of Monday, deputies responded to an active burglary report at Mike Morello Inc., an HVAC service company in Palm Coast. The business owner told dispatchers he was watching a suspect—described as a black male possibly wearing tan clothing—arrive in a black Toyota. The owner stated this same person had repeatedly stolen from his business, and he had waited to call law enforcement until catching him in the act.
When deputies arrived, they found Ken’Deric Morton, 24, of Palm Coast, standing near a black Toyota parked behind the business near a storage container. Three air conditioning units sat on the ground near the vehicle.
Morton told deputies he had moved the units to break them down for scrap metal. He claimed he regularly visited businesses in the area, including Mike Morello Inc., to collect scrap items and had never been approached about it before.
Deputies discovered burglary tools in Morton’s vehicle, including a crowbar, screwdrivers, bolt cutters, and power tools.
The business owner arrived and told deputies that surveillance footage showed Morton stealing multiple items over time, including air handler units, motors, wiring, and copper. He estimated losses between $3,000 and $4,000 in parts meant for warranty work. The thefts forced him to begin storing parts inside the building for protection.
Surveillance footage reviewed by deputies confirmed Morton moving the air conditioning units out of camera view toward his vehicle.
“This would-be thief got caught red-handed by a business owner who was tired of him stealing from him and reported it to law enforcement,” said Sheriff Staly. “Our deputies arrived on scene and encountered exactly what the owner said they would, and now this guy has earned himself a trip to the Green Roof Inn.”
Morton was arrested on charges of burglary of an unoccupied structure, grand theft ($750 or more), possession of burglary tools, loitering or prowling, and criminal mischief (over $1,000). He is being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on $10,150 bond.
Ken’Deric Morton (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility mug shot)
Body camera footage from Timmons’ arrest is available for viewing here.
