CLEARWATER, Fla. -- An 18-year-old accused of burglary was arrested after his mom saw the surveillance video released by police and turned him in.
- Mom identifies burglary suspect as son
- Kevin King turns himself in to police
- King charged with burglary, grand theft
Clearwater police said Kevin King and two other suspects stole items worth $5,000 from a home in the 3200 block of San Mateo Street on April 25.
Police said the suspects entered through a sliding glass door at the back of the house after no one answered the door when King rang the doorbell, which he was caught on video doing.
Clearwater PD released the surveillance video of King ringing the doorbell on social media and asked the community for help identifying the suspect.
One of the people who saw the video was the suspect's mother. Police said she arranged for King to turn himself in at police headquarters.
"Once I saw the video, I said it was my son and that's when I sent my son a message, the video, and I told him, 'Come home, take a shower, get you something to eat. We're going over to Clearwater,'" said the mother, Sandra Green.
King made his first appearance before a judge on Thursday.
Green said it was a heartbreaking decision to turn her son in but that it was the right to do.
"I'd rather identify him on the video and then turn him in, to hopefully that this never happens again, that he learns from it, then to identify him because a homeowner shot him and killed him," she said.
Judge Philip Federico said he was inclined to to lower King's bond because of what his mother did, but both agreed it would be good for him to stay in jail and learn a lesson.
"We appreciate the fact that you got involved," the judge said to Green. "I think it's important for parents to stay involved in their kids' lives and you know, just cause he's not on the right path now, doesn't mean that we can't get him back on the right path."
King's mother said she apologizes to the victims.
Police said detectives recovered some of the stolen items and are searching for the other two suspects.