- February 6, 2025
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The Ormond Beach Police Department has arrested three out of five individuals involved in a series of three burglaries from Simply Self Storage on South Yonge Street, stealing over $4,000 worth of items.
Security footage from the business showed 35-year-old Stephen Lehocki, 31-year-old Nicole Priest, 38-year-old Julia Walsh, 35-
year-old Jade Zatalava and 39-year-old Michael Rippey began stealing from the storage units on October 9, 2017. They were able to get inside because Zatalava had a storage unit in the business. Her unit was in the same building affected by the burglaries, police reported.
Their involvement in the burglaries was confirmed by Lehocki, who was arrested the next day
after the first burglary for battery and drug charges. He said they initially arrived at the storage building that night to enter Zatalava's unit, but when she misplaced her key, Priest said she could get them in without it since she and her past boyfriend used to "shop" in the storage units.
Lehocki told police the items, which included a 50-inch 4K Smart TV, Tony Stewart collectible cars and woodworking tools,
were taken to a hotel located on the beachside in Daytona Beach where Priest apparently had buyers lined up.
This is not the group's first criminal activity. Each of them have been arrested multiple times, with this being Rippey's 27th arrest. Police report Lehocki and Priest are still at large.
