St. Petersburg man arrested, found with dozens of stolen car key fobs and 3 stolen guns

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – Every time Teresa Kondek hears about a case involving stolen guns, she scratches her head. Her husband, Tarpon Springs Police Officer Charlie Kondek was shot and killed with a stolen gun in December of 2014.

“The gun that was used to kill my husband was stolen from a car that was unlocked in Jacksonville and made its way all the way to Tarpon Springs,” said Kondek. “And then used to kill my husband. “

St. Petersburg police announced the arrest of 21-year old Daquan Sheppard on Wednesday, they arrested him in connection to a shooting case involving his brother. In that case, his brother was the victim and was wounded by the gunfire.

While detectives were in the home, they located numerous firearms in Daquan’s room and others in a car. They also found dozens of key fobs to high-end cars.

Yolanda Fernandez, with the St. Petersburg Police Department, says he’s been very active, and detectives are now trying to figure out how many other jurisdictions have cases tied to him.

“We found two guns that were stolen from other jurisdictions,” said Fernandez, who says she can only speculate what his plans were with the stolen key fobs. “Many times they will come back and steal the car. They end up with cash, with credit cards that often get used, and then they’ll come back and steal the car sometimes.”

Fernandez adds that when you leave your valuables in an unlocked car, you might as well be inviting a criminal into your home.

“When you leave your car door unlocked, you’re opening the door to all kinds of problems,” said Fernandez. “Car theft to someone taking your credit card or your identity to even someone to even getting into your home if you have a garage door opener. “

While the circumstances surrounding the stolen guns, in this case, are still unclear, Teresa Kondek believes this should be a reminder for all gun owners to safely secure their weapons.

“You know families like us can sit and tell you all day long, not to leave those in the car or keep your guns in a safe place,” said the officer’s widow.