A Pinellas Park couple, David Denory, 35, and Penny Neal, 33, are accused of using their children to distract beach store clerks while they broke into locked cases and stole thousands of dollars worth of items, according to Treasure Island Police.
“It’s kind of crazy," said Suncoast Surf Shop owner Joe Nuzzo. "Especially, using your kids because you have a chance of losing your kids."
Treasure Island Police arrested Denory and Neal on Tuesday on a number of charges including grand theft and child abuse. Detective Trent Taylor said caller I.D. led police right to the couple's front door.
Nuzzo said that call was placed to his business on Nov. 30, "They called the shop to see if we were open. We told them we close in 30-40 minutes."
Suncoast Surf Shop clerk, Austin Magsig, said the children, a girl, 6 and a boy, 9, along with Denory were distracting him while Neal broke into a case full of watches.
"The kids were picking up random things, putting them back down in different places," he said. "Just making a mess."
Magsig said the shoplifting family got away with two watches that are worth $530 but they made a mistake by calling the store ahead of time.
"They were the only people that had been in the shop and the guys voice (on the phone) sounded very familiar to the guy who was talking to me behind the counter," Magsig said. "I just put two and two together."
"I came back here the next morning and did the caller I.D. and found the number," Nuzzo said. "Called the police and said here’s the name of the people and their phone number. They weren’t real intelligent."
Police said the couple also stole from the Surf Style Shop in Treasure Island on Nov. 25. In that case, Neal and the children distracted the clerk while Denory broke into a case full of sunglasses, according to police. The couple allegedly got away with three pairs of sunglasses that are worth $687.
One day earlier, police said the couple stole eight pairs of sunglasses from the Surf Style Shop in Madeira Beach that are worth $2,238. Police said Neal and Denory were subjecting their children to criminal activity which could be emulated later in life.
On Wednesday, a judge gave the couple a $10,000 bond for each child abuse charge. The Department of Children and Families have taken custody of the boy and girl.
“Hopefully, they’ll get those kids to go in another direction,” said Nuzzo.