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Chala deputy of the quarter

2 min read

Arrests made following a series of car burglaries earned Lee County Sheriff Deputy Julian Chala kudos from the North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce last week.

Chala, who has been with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for a little over a year, was feted on Jan. 21 as the Deputy of the Quarter after he caught three youths reportedly in the act trying to unhook a trailer from a vehicle in Hidden Acres.

Chala was on criminal patrol in the area on Dec. 1 and was conducting an area check at approximately 2 a.m.

The gated community, along with surrounding communities, had experienced numerous vehicle burglaries and vehicle thefts over the past year, officials said

Chala entered the community and shut off the lights in his patrol vehicle. A short time later he observed three juvenile males trying to unhook the trailer from a Lincoln Navigator, apparently with the intent of stealing it.

Upon seeing Chala, the youths attempted to flee on foot. Chala gave chase and apprehended one them.

A perimeter was established and two other two youths were located and arrested.

Further investigation revealed that the three suspects had committed several other burglaries in the community and deputies were able to recover all of the property stolen from the burglarized vehicles, officials said.

The three were charged with burglary and attempted grand theft auto. All property was returned to the victims, including various Christmas presents that had been purchased for children.

“The victims were leaving all the Christmas gifts they had shopped for in their cars and these kids took them and stacked them up behind a house,” North Fort Myers office supervisor Chris Reeves said. “They were going to steal the SUV, put all the gifts in there and haul them away. He not only saved the family’s car, but several families’ Christmas.”

Reeves said Chala has a gift of being able to follow up on crime during a time of day when it’s rare to stumble upon something in progress. At the awards presentation, Reeves said he was the true definition of a deputy sheriff.

“He’s out there doing what he needs to do. The community should feel safe knowing he’s in the neighborhood when they’re sleeping,” Reeves said.