Second arrest made in burglary of dead Dania Beach man’s home

A Crime Stoppers tip helped Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives locate the second suspect involved in the burglary of a home in Dania

Steven Strauss

Beach while the homeowner’s body was decaying inside. He was arrested early this morning and is sitting in a Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office jail.

Investigators are yet to locate the victim’s missing truck, a maroon colored, 2006 Ford F-150 with extended cab and Florida disabled veteran’s specialty license tag number DV67007.

BSO detectives say 20-year-old Steven Scott Strauss, a documented gang member and suspected accomplice in the burglary was booked into the PBSO jail for burglary, loitering and possession of drug paraphernalia at six this morning (Friday, March 19).

The morbid crime took place this past weekend, either March 13 or 14. Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives say 20-year-old Anthony Defalle showed up to the home of Raymond Barkey and realized the 59-year-old man had died. Defalle then contacted a couple of friends, Strauss included, to burglarize the home, while Barkey’s decomposing body lay a short distance away.

The suspects stole a safe, weapons and the victim’s truck. BSO detectives working with the BSO Gun Squad recovered two of the firearms, but say they could have stolen others.

A Crime Stoppers tip led to the arrest of Defalle on Wednesday, March 17, and a second tip notified detectives of Strauss’ arrest. Detectives are still gathering information on other potential suspects in this crime.

Anyone with information about the burglary or the missing vehicle is asked to contact BSO Dania Beach Detective Meghan Brooks at 954-926-2400, or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or www.browardcrimestoppers.org. A reward of up to $1,000 is available for information leading to an arrest.

Short URL: http://browardnetonline.com/?p=7187

Posted by Andrea Freygang on Mar 20 2010. Filed under Broward County, Crime, Dania, Local news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.