Vanderbilt Beach, FL - A man and women have been caught looting with a child at condominiums in Collier County that were affected by Hurricane Ian.
Collier County deputies arrested 28-year-old Alxis Tatiana Dibrigida and 47-year-old Stephen Granieri after the two left a young child unattended inside their vehicle while looting the Sausalito Condominiums and Bellagio Grande in Vanderbilt Beach.
Detectives say Dibrigida and Granieri kicked in doors, ransacked residences, and destroyed property before making off with clothing, shoes, liquor, and other items.
Deputies were notified of a break-in at the Bellagio Grande around 12:30 p.m. by a caller who said he heard the sound of glass shattering and loud noises coming from one of the units.
When deputies arrived, they found two glass doors to one of the units had been kicked in and shattered.
Authorities say the unit had been ransacked and the property was destroyed, causing an estimated $10,000 to $20,000 in damage.
While investigating the burglary, deputies discovered a child alone in a car seat with its engine running in the parking garage.
The vehicle was registered to Granieri, who abruptly appeared in the garage and was taken into custody.
Dibrigida ran from the scene, but was found hiding in bushes and was also taken into custody.
Several stolen items from the unit were found inside Granier’s vehicle, include fishing poles and bottles of alcohol that were located next to the child.
The Florida Department of Children and Families was contacted and the child was taken to a local hospital for evaluation after being found unkempt, hungry, and. covered in bug bites.
The pair is in the Collier County jail facing multiple charges of grand theft and burglary, as well as child neglect charges.
Sheriff Kevin Rambosk warned looters while speaking with NBC 2 News, stating "if you’re thinking about coming to Collier County during this state of emergency and committing felonious activity here, think again. We’ve got deputies and technology on the ground, in the air, and on the water 24/7 committed to keeping our community safe during storm recovery. Don’t even try it.”