A Navarre High School student who bragged to another student about “robbing” an individual’s home with his 20-year-old brother got his brother arrested for Burglary and Grand Theft after an investigation determined the duo collectively stole over $2,300 worth of items from an area home, including a gun.
According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, after conducting a month-long investigation, law enforcement apprehended the adult suspect, 20-year-old Christian Nelson and charged him with the home burglary, which occurred back on Dec. 11, 2016. Arrest information on Christian’s brother, Austin Nelson, was not available since the individual is a minor
The report indicated that a resident on Pine Needle Drive in Navarre returned to his home on Dec. 11 after being on vacation and noticed that a number of high-dollar items were missing from inside of his home. The victim said that one of his windows was open and that the screen had been removed from the window.
Eventually the victim was able to determine that $2,300 worth of items had been stolen from the home, including:
– A Dell laptop, valued at $300
– An Xbox 360, valued at $150
– A Beats Pill Speaker, valued at $150
– A Citizen watch, valued at $600
– Three Breitling watches, valued at $600 total
– A Fossil watch, valued at $150
– A black .22 rifle, valued at $100
– and a knife valued at $250
The victim had surveillance cameras mounted around his home and was able to download video footage of two suspects walking around the victim’s residence at around 2 a.m. on Dec. 11.
Due to the quality of the video, law enforcement was not able to positively identify the suspects.
Two days later, a SRCSO deputy was dispatched to Navarre High School where he met with a student who told the officer that he was eating lunch with Austin that day and the teen was bragging about him and his brother (Christian) “robbing (a) home”, the arrest report stated. The student claimed that Austin told him that he and his brother had taken an Xbox, some shoes and watches from the home, according to the arrest report.
Other witnesses later came forward alleging Christian also went around bragging about the burglary, the report indicated. Those witnesses submitted statements to the SRCSO.
Austin was later interviewed about the burglary at NHS, and was originally evasive during questioning, according to the report. Austin eventually told the deputy that he didn’t remember much about the night because he had taken a Xanax, which was nor prescribed to him, the report indicated.
Christian was later interviewed, but his statement was redacted in the arrest report.
Some items were eventually retrieved from the Nelson’s residence.
Christian was booked into Santa Rosa County Jail last Thursday and posted $15,000 bond the same day.
According to the Santa Rosa County Jail View website, Christian has been arrested once in Santa Rosa County for a Probation Violation.
