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The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested two men in connection with residen- tial burglaries in Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice on the night of May 6, the office has reported. Manatee County detectives asked Sarasota deputies to conduct surveillance on Stephen Pitts and an accomplice as the suspects' gold Chevrolet Malibu headed south into Sarasota County on Interstate 75, a news release says. Sarasota County personnel in the TAC unit followed the men to Jacaranda Boulevard and into Plantation, the release continues. The car stopped briefly within the subdivision and then left with only one occupant, it adds. Deputies maintained surveillance on the vehi- cle for more than an hour, followed it back to Plantation and stayed close to it as it headed north on I-75, the release notes. At the same time, members of the K-9 Unit conducted a reverse track from where the vehicle was last stopped in Plantation and located three homes with damage — two with smashed rear sliding doors and the third with a slashed lanai screen, the release says. The deputies in the TAC unit were notified to stop the vehicle on I-75; when they did, they recov- ered three flat screen televisions and a bag of collectible coins that have since been identi- fied by the victims, the release points out. Stephen Pitts, 28, of 3076 Wood Street, Sarasota, and Raymond Corso, 27, of 2417 Buckeye Street, Sarasota, were both charged with two counts of Burglary, one count of Attempted Burglary and three counts of Unlawful Use of a Communications Device for using cellphones "to coordinate their getaway," the release notes. "Detectives are working closely with the Manatee County Sheriff's Office as the investigations con- tinue. Additional charges are pending," the release says. TWO ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH VENICE HOME BURGLARIES Raymond Corso/Contributed photo Stephen Pitts/Contributed photo Sarasota News Leader May 9, 2014 Page 97