By Fallan Patterson

Staff Writer

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office is investigating whether an Orlando man arrested Sunday for burglarizing a Publix construction site is responsible for other burglaries at the same location.

Patrick Bristol, 39, of 5635 Telipa Drive, was arrested during an active undercover operation after three burglaries had occurred since Dec. 30 at the uncompleted Publix shopping center at 2338 E. U.S. Highway 192 near Partin Settlement Road.

Deputies observed Bristol, wearing a black “hoodie” sweater and blue jeans, walking through the construction site around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Sheriff's Office report. Bristol then allegedly “began to manipulate the locking mechanism” on the front door of the Publix, trying to gain entry..

Bristol also allegedly removed the window screen of a construction trailer and beat on the glass in an attempt to smash the window.

After Bristol was apprehended, deputies found a blue backpack containing two bolt cutters, two screwdrivers and a hammer that had been left at the front door of the Publix. Bristol told officers, according to the report, he had found the bag on Partin Settlement Road and “placed it” by the supermarket's front door. He also stated he went to the construction trailer and “looked through the window out of curiosity.”

While Bristol “didn't confess to any of the other” burglaries, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Twis Lizasuain said, detectives are still interested in information Bristol may have on the other crimes.

Bristol was booked into the Osceola County Jail on $5,000 bail for burglary of an unoccupied structure, possession of burglary tools and trespassing on a construction site.

Bristol has served jail time in the past for burglary, theft, trafficking and possession of a controlled substance, all in Orange County, and is scheduled to attend a plea hearing Jan. 20 at the Orange County Courthouse on theft charges from last year, according to clerk of courts records.

Other burglaries on site

Detectives are looking into three other burglaries at the site, one of which occurred in the early morning hours Sunday.

Beginning on Dec. 30, unknown suspects broke into the structure on three separate occasions, damaging new fixtures, stealing valuable materials and leaving few clues.

While the site was shut down for the New Year's holiday weekend, $10,000 worth of copper was stolen and $2,000 in damage was done to the coolers installed at the rear of the Publix.

A worker who arrived on site around 6:45 a.m. Jan. 2 found the door of the Publix open with the padlock cut off. Tire marks in the dirt “appeared to back up to the doors” and “seemed to stand out” on the active construction site where boot prints and tire tracks are plentiful, the Sheriff's Office eport stated.

Deputies found two circular saw blades and an electric circular saw with the serial numbers filed off left at the site, which were taken into evidence. The officer wrote in the report that a number copper pipes had been cut and copper shavings were found both inside and outside the uncompleted supermarket.

That same night, Jan. 2 around 11:40 p.m., deputies canvassing the area noticed lights on inside a conex box, a large, steel container often used for shipping or on-site construction storage. The deputies noted in the report they had checked the site just before 7 p.m. without incident.

The responding officers noticed one container had the padlock cut off and two others had holes cut into the sides near where a level, tripod and bolt cutters were found.

Additionally, plywood covering the door of the unfinished supermarket had been pried back but the lock was still intact.

The third burglary occurred Sunday between 3:36 a.m. and 5 a.m. where a deputy on patrol found the front door lock damaged.

After a walkthrough the the building, Milton Yates, supervisor for HGR Construction, general contractor for the project, told deputies he was unsure if anything was taken.

Yates said Monday he does not think Bristol is responsible for the previous break-ins because he was on foot while a vehicle was involved in the first burglary.

The construction company is working with the property owners to put additional security measures in place, he said.