Indian Shores – A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a theft that occurred at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary in Indian Shores.
According to arrest affidavits from the Indian Shores Police Department, 19-year-old Steven Lee Rege was arrested on October 9, 2025, and charged with burglary of an unoccupied structure, petit theft, and criminal mischief.
Investigators said the incident occurred around 3:35 a.m. on October 4, 2025, at the sanctuary located at 18328 Gulf Boulevard. Surveillance video showed a male entering the fenced property, removing a wooden post supporting a donation box, and taking a second box out of the camera’s view. The sanctuary was closed to the public at the time, and the suspect did not have permission to enter the property.
A still image from the surveillance footage was shared on social media by sanctuary staff, which led to the identification of Rege. Police said $190 taken from the donation box was later returned by Rege’s father.
Rege was booked into the Pinellas County Jail. The burglary charge is a felony; the theft and criminal mischief charges are misdemeanors.