Eleven so-called “crankers” have been charged with burglarizing and ransacking the vacant Florida home of a member of the Air Force deployed 2,000 miles away, authorities said.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced an online fundraiser for the airman, who is stationed in North Dakota. The saga began when the airman, who provides strategic intelligence analysis to support the nuclear deterrence mission of the base, called the sheriff’s office March 16 after he noticed a spike in the electric bill at his home.
He requested authorities check the property.
“If you’ve never seen a cranker colony, now you have,” Judd said in a video message while holding the mugshots of all 11 suspects. “They weren’t just breaking into the house. They devastated the house. They gutted the house.”
Judd said the suspects took everything out of the house. He showed images of garbage and random items on a lawn. The suspects lived in a shed near the home where they stole electricity, Judd said.
The suspects were identified as Brindy Matos, 39; Anthony Maddox, Jr., 31; Dana Pereira, 46; Michael Stone, 38; Johnathan Smith, 21; Beverly Reese, 44; Dwayne Harris, 46; Austin Shirah, 33; Angelea Keene, 53; Troy Bumlens, 41; and 25-year-old Kayla Strickland.
All are charged with multiple offenses ranging from drug possession to keeping a public nuisance structure for drug use. When deputies arrived at the home, Maddox fled and left Matos, who is seven months pregnant with his child, Judd said.
Matos and Maddox are additionally charged with burglary and trespassing, among other crimes.
“They all lived together in a compound, in a colony, and they started pilfering this house,” the sheriff said.
The airman said the home was no longer habitable.
“Our memories and photographs were scattered, ripped, torn and ruined from the criminals that had broken in and decided to squat on the property,” he wrote. “Graffiti and profanity was spray-painted on the walls and doors of the home, appliances stolen and the walls ripped apart only to assume the criminals were looking for things to sell.
“I am headed back to continue my duty at Minot AFB and comfort my grieving mother after this tremendous loss that we were not expecting.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the airman.