Blood left at crime scene helps reveal person responsible for 2019 burglary

Collier County detectives arrested a man responsible for a burglary in January of 2019 after a residue of his blood was found on a smashed window of the home that was broken into.

According to CCSO, detectives arrested Raidel Garcia, 35, and charged him with burglary of a dwelling and grand theft in connection with a break-in.

CCSO says the victim told deputies that someone smashed a bedroom window, burglarized her home on Polly Avenue and stole cash from a safe.

The victim also told deputies that her husband had recently fired Garcia, who was an employee.

The home’s video doorbell also revealed video of a silver sedan drive by the house 40 minutes before the crime took place. CCSO says the vehicle was strikingly similar to that of Garcia’s silver Lexus.

Blood also was recovered from a blind where the window was smashed. The blood evidence was sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement lab for DNA analysis in the national database. Results showed that the DNA collected at the scene matched with Garcia.

Deputies located Garcia at his home around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, and took him into custody.