DNA Match Leads To Arrest of Man in Coral Springs

Alfred DuncanFebruary 17, 2021

Nearly six months after the crime, DNA evidence from a cut led to an Oakland Park man’s arrest for burglarizing a vehicle in Coral Springs.
According to Coral Springs Police, on August 28, 2020, the victim pulled up to his residence on the 4600 block of 10th Court and noticed the door to his work van was open and the suspect sitting in the front seat rummaging around. Startled, the suspect fled the scene.
The van showed signs of forced entry, and upon further inspection, the victim realized that nearly $1,000 in work tools had been stolen. Police believe the suspect was either working with an accomplice or had already moved the tools to a getaway car before being confronted by the victim.
Officers located surveillance cameras at a convenience store across the street and saw the suspect breaking into the van but could not make out if he was working alone or what he had done with the tools.

Crime scene investigators realized the suspect had cut himself, breaking a divider between the van’s front seat and the work area. Samples of the blood were taken to a lab for DNA analysis. A match was soon reported, and a warrant was issued for 39-year-old Joseph Gardner’s arrest.

After months of being unable to locate Gardner, he was found on February 9, taken into custody, and transported to the Broward County Mail Jail. On February 10, he posted a $2,000 bond and was released.