Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Seth Collin Bradford, 20, from Katy, Texas, and Robert Emanuel Cormier, 28, from Cypress, Texas, were apprehended last night when Florida Highway Patrol officers stopped their stolen Ford Expedition on I-75 near Gainesville.

At approximately 8:04 p.m. on August 29, a Be On The Lookout (BOLO) alert was issued for a black Ford Expedition with a Texas license plate, reported stolen and possibly connected to a burglary/robbery in Miami-Dade County.

Around 8:39 p.m., Florida Highway Patrol officers spotted the Expedition traveling north on I-75 near mile marker 387 (Newberry Road) and initiated a traffic stop. Upon stopping the vehicle, two occupants, Bradford and Cormier, were identified as the suspected burglars/robbers. A third passenger was released without facing any charges.

A Miami-Dade detective informed the officers that Bradford and Cormier had been seen with stolen goods valued at about $57,100, providing images and video evidence of the men with the items, which included jewelry and a Louis Vuitton bag. The detective requested to process the vehicle for fingerprints, so no inventory search was done at the time, although a Louis Vuitton bag was visibly seen in the vehicle, along with a blue bag, which had been noticed entering a building empty and exiting filled with items.

The two men were charged with grand theft over $20,000, with further charges anticipated from Miami-Dade County. There is no available information on the defendants’ criminal records. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set Bradford’s bail at $40,000 and Cormier’s at $100,000.

Articles regarding arrests are derived from reports by law enforcement agencies. The charges mentioned are based on arrest reports and/or court records and are mere accusations. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.