A pizza box smeared with blood led Florida detectives to a previously deported Colombian national accused of burglarizing a Palm Coast home, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) announced.
William Vargas-Carmona, 33, of Jacksonville, faces charges of burglary of an unoccupied dwelling and grand theft, according to the FCSO’s press release. The arrest came after a nine-month investigation. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took him into custody Nov. 21 in Jacksonville.
Deputies responded to a burglary on Pritchard Lane on Jan. 28 after a woman arrived home to find her power off and her house ransacked. Detectives determined between $2,500 and $3,000 in cash was missing.
Investigators found the suspect had switched off the circuit breaker in the garage and unplugged the modem in the living room. He also covered the home-security camera with a jacket. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Illegal Indian Trucker Accused Of Killing Two In Horrific Crash)
Surveillance footage showed a Hispanic man look at the camera, step around it, then cover it before the camera lost power, according to the sheriff’s office.
While collecting evidence, detectives discovered a red smear on a pizza box in the kitchen. Forensic testing confirmed it was blood, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement matched the DNA to Vargas-Carmona through the Combined DNA Index System on Aug. 18.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed Vargas-Carmona had been deported in September 2024 after authorities found him in the country illegally, the FCSO stated.
“This dirtbag was in our country illegally, deported once already, and returned again to prey on American communities, but he made the mistake of coming to Flagler County,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We work with our federal partners to get criminals like him off the streets and eventually deported.”
Vargas-Carmona is held without bond at the Baker County Detention Center, pending extradition to Flagler County, according to WFTV.
