SUSPECT ARRESTED IN VENDING BOX BREAK-INS

Authorities Say The Man Admitted To Stealing Coins From About 60 Newspaper
Boxes In Clearwater, Largo, Seminole And The Gulf Beaches

LARGO -- Investigators say it didn't take Jason E. Clifford long to break
into a newspaper box -- usually less than five seconds.

Pinellas sheriff's deputies arrested Clifford, 22, early Monday morning
after seeing him near a set of newspaper racks in Seminole. Investigators
say Clifford eventually admitted to breaking into at least 60 newspaper
boxes since October.

Clifford's total take during the string of crimes could be $3,000, said
Sgt. Greg Tita, a sheriff's spokesman.

Tita said Clifford has a cocaine problem and struck newspaper boxes in
Clearwater, Largo, Seminole and along Gulf Boulevard in beach cities. He
often took the same route, usually hitting on Sunday night or Monday
morning, targeting Sunday paper sales, Tita said.

Sheriff's officials had alerted deputies to be on the lookout for
suspicious activity near newspaper boxes. On Monday morning, that alert
paid off.

Deputy Shane Collinsworth was on routine patrol just after midnight in
Seminole when he noticed a 1982 white Dodge pickup pulled up to newspaper
boxes outside Orange Blossom Groves in the 5800 block of Seminole Boulevard.

Collinsworth turned his squad car around and went back to the area.
Meanwhile, the white pickup left that spot and drove to the area of
Seminole and Park boulevards. Deputies pulled over the pickup, which was
driven by Clifford.

Inside, deputies reported finding a pick-ax, hacksaw, gloves, sealable
plastic bags, a coin counter and $72 in quarters. Clifford initially denied
committing any theft, however.

Deputies found green paint on the gloves and ax in Clifford's truck. The
paint appeared to come from a Times rack tampered with at Orange Blossom
Groves.

Then Clifford decided to cooperate and admitted the crimes, Tita said.

"He said he didn't want to spend Christmas in jail and would work with the
detectives," Tita said. "He went to jail anyway."

Clifford told detectives he was quick, said Tita. "He told investigators he
could get inside the boxes in less than five seconds," Tita said.

Clifford, whose last known address is 6323 145th Ave. N, was charged with
four counts of petty theft and four counts of molesting a coin- operated
machine.

The State Attorney's Office will decide whether more theft charges are
warranted.