Cops use drone to catch suspect, a local man being held on $55,000 bond

Lantana police are using high technology to catch a Palm Beach County man.

FROM: 24/7 CRIME DESK | BocaNewsNow.com

PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2024 MetroDesk Media, LLC) – Lantana police used a drone to track and capture a burglary suspect who is wanted in multiple Palm Beach County jurisdictions. That suspect, Patrick Fontaine, is currently in custody and is being held on nearly 20 charges. And note to would-be criminals: The Lantana Police Department is now officially known as a high-tech department that catches, finds and tracks you on the ground and in the air.

It all started when a Lantana resident saw someone approaching his parked car suspiciously. That resident called police, who immediately dispatched officers and a drone operator. The police report obtained by BocaNewsNow.com shows what happened next. We publish the following sections:

“On 11/26/2024 at approximately 2:08 a.m., I Ofc Tuang responded to the area of ​​700-Blk N Atlantic Dr in reference to a suspicious person. Upon arrival, I made contact with (the reporting victim) who advised me that he observed an individual wearing long pants and a gray hoodie walking toward his driveway near his parked vehicle. Fearing that he was breaking into his vehicle, (the alleged victim) confronted the individual who immediately arrived on N Atlantic Dr. ran north. It should be noted that the description of the individual matched the description of the suspect who committed multiple vehicle burglaries on S Atlantic Dr., on 11/24/2024. This theme was also consistent with a suspect who also committed multiple vehicle thefts in Manalapan on 11/24/2024.

Responding units searched the area and attempted to make contact with the subject. A perimeter was also established. It should be noted that N Atlantic Dr is a dead end surrounded by water. The suspect was observed driving north toward the cul-de-sac. I then responded to the 400 block of E Ocean Ave and utilized the department provided drone and assisted officers in locating the subject. I then observed (via drone) a person in a parked vehicle at 1125 N Atlantic Dr with the door open while a person searched the vehicle with a flashlight. I then observed the subject exit the vehicle and walk south on N Atlantic Drive. This was relayed via radio to other officers.

Then I lost track of the subject for a brief moment, but was able to see it again when (another officer) arrived at 1107 N Atlantic Dr. observed. I then observed the subject (through the drone) at the southeast corner of the fenced home. I radioed the subject’s location. The subject was at this location for a short period of time.

I then watched the individual run to the backyard of 1107 N Atlantic Dr and jump over the fence into the residence at 1105 N Atlantic Dr. The subject then ran south toward 1101 N Atlantic Dr and into 1025 N Atlantic Dr, which is a vacant lot. The subject was then observed running back into the backyard of 1101 N Atlantic Dr and hiding behind the fenced area surrounding the pool equipment. The subject then ran back into the backyard of 1105 N Atlantic Dr, where Lantana Police arrested him without incident. The subject was identified as Patrick Fontaine (DOB March 18, 1982).

Probable Cause: Patrick Fontaine is charged with Vehicle Burglary, Theft, Possession of Burglary Tools and Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance.”

Fontaine, 42, is now charged with 12 counts of burglary, three counts of theft and one count of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. He lists his home address as an apartment on H Street in Lake Worth.