UPDATE Jan. 8, 2020: The Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office says Joshua Alexander pleaded guilty this week to four burglaries and six attempted burglaries.
He was sentenced to 29 years in prison with 25 suspended.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – A duo faces a combined 69 charges for 10 business burglaries between mid-July and mid-September, according to police, who say officers arrested the two suspects on Saturday.
Joshua Alexander, 26, and Lashaidra Sykes, 25, are co-defendants in the 10 cases, police say.
The crime spree started on July 19 at Xpert Automotive on Baker Road. Management tells WAVY.com the suspects broke two doors in the business but didn’t take any property.
Dan Cooke, a mechanic at Transmission at Bayside, says the business on Shore Drive was burglarized on Sept. 8. He says the suspects broke in through a window and got away with just one tool.
Cooke says they also broke into Best Way Towing, which is attached to the same building, and stole a laptop.
“I am glad they got caught,” said Cooke. “We’re just some working people trying to make money and we can’t make it with people breaking in and taking our stuff.”
Police say Alexander and Sykes also targeted National Car Care and Care-A-Lot on Diamond Springs Road, Signature Nails on Newtown Road, Midas on Holland Road, Family Dollar on Fallbrook Bend, T&K Tailors on Wesleyan Drive and Big Al’s Mufflers and Breaks on Independence Boulevard.
A majority of the charges are for burglary, attempted burglary and damaging property.
Alexander and Sykes remain locked up with no bond. They both declined to comment from jail.