Two men were arrested early Sunday, Jan. 26, after Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they were caught moving through a Summerfield neighborhood checking vehicles and taking property, including a firearm, during a span of reported burglaries and attempted burglaries.
According to an arrest affidavit, deputies were called to the 3200 block of SE 143rd Place after a resident reported receiving a notification from her Blink camera around 12:44 a.m. She told deputies she saw two male subjects trying door handles on vehicles at her home, and she later saw activity at a nearby residence involving a neighbor’s vehicle.
The suspects were later identified as Christian Michael Higgins and Logan James Raverty, according to the report. Deputies, including K-9 and a drone unit, searched the area and located the two in a wooded area near the 14500 block of SE 34th Terrace, where they were detained.
During a canvas of the area, deputies reported locating multiple items believed to be stolen, including property found in abandoned backpacks. The affidavit lists items recovered as including sunglasses, electronics, credit cards and identification documents, a drone remote, and a Phoenix Arms .22-caliber handgun loaded with 10 rounds in the magazine. Deputies later contacted several residents in the neighborhood who reported their vehicles had been entered, with some reporting missing property.
In the affidavit, MCSO listed victims at multiple addresses in the area and estimated the total approximate value of property loss at $2,257.
Detective Michael Lowder wrote that Raverty provided a post-Miranda statement admitting involvement and described the activity as “car-hopping,” stating it was his idea and that both suspects were checking vehicles for unlocked doors and taking items. The affidavit states Raverty told investigators they arrived in the area by Lyft near the Sunoco at 3620 SE Highway 484 and then walked the neighborhood. Higgins declined to answer questions and requested an attorney, according to the report.
Deputies also investigated a reported stolen firearm from a white Ford pickup truck in the neighborhood. The owner later confirmed the handgun recovered from the backpack was his, according to the affidavit.
Both suspects were arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail without incident, the report states.
Charges listed in the affidavit for both Higgins and Raverty include three counts of unarmed vehicle burglary, four counts of attempted unarmed vehicle burglary, one count of armed vehicle burglary, one count of grand theft of a firearm, and two counts of grand theft (property value between $750 and $5,000).
The affidavit also states investigators learned Raverty was on felony probation and Higgins was on domestic violence pretrial release conditions at the time of the arrests. The detective requested both be held with no bond, citing the alleged violations.
