Man accused of using kayak in Cape Coral neighborhood burglary spree

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

A man was arrested after Cape Coral police said he used a kayak to cross a canal and went on a vehicle burglary spree in a neighborhood.

Police officers responded to a call about a vehicle burglary along NE 18th Avenue on Friday morning at approximately 12:29 a.m.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, a resident reported seeing a male suspect trying to open vehicle doors. CCPD said surveillance footage showed a man in a blue hoodie and light gray sweatpants entering multiple vehicles in the neighborhood.

Lauren Medina said her husband saw all of the officers before discovering someone had stolen from her SUV.

"He guessed that, you know, somebody was around the area or they were looking for somebody and then he contacted the cops," Medina said. "They told him to stay inside the house and just wait until, you know, they came here because maybe he was hiding in the car."

Officers set up a perimeter, and CCPD K-9 units and the Lee County Sheriff's Office helped with the search.

CCPD said the suspect's track ended near a canal behind NE 18th Avenue, and a police drone located a man, later identified as Koltin Troy Burns, 20, who matched the suspect's description. He was entering a residence on NE 17th Place just across the canal from the scene.

According to CCPD, after Burns used a kayak to cross the canal, he burglarized several unlocked vehicles. Police said items, including a wallet and a Tory Burch purse valued at approximately $320, were taken before Burns made his way back across the canal to his residence.

Medina told Gulf Coast News the purse belonged to her. She said Burns took it from her backseat. Medina said she will never leave her car unlocked again and will put up surveillance cameras.

"Hitting close to home just felt like, 'Oh, my God, we're not safe," Medina said. "We should put more security in the house because they did this to their car, and then maybe they could do this to the house, you know, or something worse."

Officers also recovered wet clothes and a kayak that had been used recently. The news release states that four victims were identified.

Burns is facing five counts of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, one count of petit theft over $100 and under $750, and one count of petit theft.

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