Cape Coral Police Department’s Property Crimes Detectives have arrested Richard Steven Chinn (DOB 06/04/1978) in connection with a residential and vehicle burglary in the Oasis Boulevard area, the fourth burglary arrest made by the department related to this series.
On November 11, 2025, officers responded to a home on Oasis Boulevard after the victim discovered a pried-open side garage door, missing items from the garage, and a Cadillac Escalade burglarized inside the secured garage. The initial loss was estimated at $12,027, later revised to approximately $16,487 in frozen food, model cars, tools, and gift cards; the home was occupied at the time.
Officers documented pry marks and collected a broken plastic Budweiser cup, a DeWalt drill bit set, and a metal floor-jack arm the victim identified as his, all submitted as evidence. A neighbor reported seeing a pickup truck and a male loading items around 4:30 a.m., and residential video later showed a white pickup, believed to be an older Ford F-150 with a toolbox, in the area around 4:50 a.m. with items being loaded into the cab before it drove through nearby streets.
Officers processed the garage and Escalade and submitted latent print cards. Several were determined to be of value. Forensics confirmed a latent print lifted from the Escalade inside the secured garage matched the left thumb of Richard Steven Chinn, indicating Chinn entered the closed garage and burglarized the vehicle.
On December 2, 2025, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in the 2600 block of Southwest 32nd Lane, where Chinn was known to stay. In a bedroom believed to be his, detectives found documents bearing his name and several boxed model cars similar to those reported stolen. The victim later viewed photographs of these cars, compared them to his remaining collection, and identified specific models as his stolen property.
On February 19, 2026, while Chinn was in custody at the Lee County Jail on unrelated charges, Cape Coral detectives served him with additional charges.
Detectives established probable cause to charge Richard Steven Chinn with:
Burglary of an occupied dwelling, unarmed, F.S.S. 810.02(3)(a), one count, second-degree felonyBurglary of an unoccupied conveyance, unarmed, F.S.S. 810.02(4)(b), one count, third-degree felonyGrand theft $10,000 or more but less than $20,000, F.S.S. 812.014(2)(c)(3), one count, third-degree felony
Chinn was also charged with burglary in three different investigations in the Oasis area prior to the completion of this case.
