LEE COUNTY, Fla.- Lee County Sheriff's detectives have arrested a Fort Myers man in connection with recent break-ins to two Lehigh Acres businesses.
On December 9, around 3:30 a.m., deputies responded to a past occurred burglary at Subway on Lee Boulevard. The burglar smashed the front door to get in, but much to his dismay found no money in the cash register. Surveillance video showed a white male with very short hair exit a white older model minivan before breaking in. The suspect was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and black shoes with red soles.
Also during the overnight hours, surveillance video shows the same minivan and suspect pull up to the Luxxor Casino on Lee Boulevard. There the suspect broke into several gaming machines and forced open an ATM. A white female with short blonde hair was seen accompanying the male suspect inside the casino.
Detectives compared notes and developed two suspects. After learning the female suspect was already in the Lee County Jail on unrelated charges, detectives paid her a visit. Information obtained during an interview further confirmed to detectives that Benjamin Parrish was their suspect.
On December 19th, Parrish was located at the residence of an acquaintance in Lehigh Acres. Inside the residence, detectives located a pair of black tennis shoes with red bottoms that fit the description of the shoes worn during the burglaries. Parrish stated the shoes were his. A search warrant was obtained for the residence in Fort Myers where Parrish lives. There detectives located the red hooded sweatshirt fitting the description of that worn by the burglar.
Benjamin Parrish, 35, of 7481 53 Gladiolus Drive, was arrested and charged with two counts of Burglary to a Structure, and one count each of Grand Theft, Criminal Mischief and Possession of Burglary Tools.