Two 19-Year-Olds Arrested in Martin County Burglary and Gun-Theft Spree

Overview

• Martin County detectives, with St. Lucie County SWAT and CID, served search warrants in Port St. Lucie and arrested 19-year-olds Stephen Ivan Morris and Shaun Alexander Bilbrey, who were booked into Martin County Jail with no bond.
• Authorities say the arrests closed multiple investigations after evidence linked the suspects to a string of burglaries that began on Aug. 1 in Hobe Sound and spread to Palm City and Stuart.
• Searches of the suspects' homes yielded seven stolen firearms, five of which investigators tied to at least 15 reported burglaries; the provenance of the remaining two guns remains under investigation.
• Officials say the pair targeted unsecured vehicles and homes, used a motorcycle and a stolen golf cart to move between neighborhoods, and relied on opportunistic checks of door handles to take easily accessed items.
• Each suspect faces dozens of charges — reports list 36 counts apiece including grand theft, armed burglary, larceny and traveling to commit burglary — and investigators warn more charges or victim identifications could follow as the probe continues.