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Lehigh Acres man charged in string of overnight burglaries

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LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- A traffic stop in Lehigh Acres early Wednesday morning led to the recovery of stolen items from several businesses.

40-year-old Bernie Shane was subsequently arrested and is facing numerous charges, including four counts of Burglary, four counts of Larceny, two counts of Damage of Property/Criminal Mischief and one count of Possession of Burglary Tools with Intent to Use.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Shane was pulled over Wednesday for reckless driving and arrested for an unrelated traffic offense.

Meanwhile investigators were searching for the person responsible for shattering the front door of a Subway restaurant on Lee Boulevard.

Then more crime scenes were reported in the area, including at St. Raphael's Catholic Church, where two "poor boxes" were ripped open and emptied of their cash, and a sound system was destroyed.

Two other nearby businesses and two more vehicles were also burglarized.

Detectives viewed surveillance video from the church, Subway, CVS, and a funeral home to match Shane to the crimes.

“Our deputies work hard at putting the puzzle pieces together to ensure these crimes do not go unpunished,” says Lee County Undersheriff Carmine Marceno.

Shane was booked into the Lee County Jail, where he is being held on $96,500 bond.