2 men accused of stealing golf carts in The Villages, deputies say

Welcome back. Golf carts are a way of life in the villages and these two men are accused of stealing them right off the street. Investigators say these suspects had an elaborate scheme to steal the carts, hide them in plain sight and then sell them online. Stephanie Buffamati shows us how the operation apparently worked. Here in the villages you will see golf cart after golf cart after golf cart. The Sumter County Sheriff's Office says 10 golf carts were stolen in the area recently and they think there could be more victims out there. It surprises me. I don't know why it's happening. I think it's shocking, quite frankly. Patty Martin and her husband are like most residents in the villages. They drive their golf cart more than their car. We look upon our golf carts as our cars. We have two. We travel most of the time. Everywhere I go in my golf cart, I really don't want to drive my car unless I have to. So I value good police protection and taking care of people who are stealing my mode of transportation. The Sumter County Sheriff's Office says these two men, Stephen Santiago and David Andrews, are responsible for stealing eight golf carts in the villages and two in Lady Lake from October 24th To November 10th. Many of the golf carts were taken in the popular Lake Sumter Landing area. That's terrible, obviously. And we always make sure we park in a conspicuous place and always take the key with us, whether it's one of the squares or shopping centers or something like that. Deputies say the suspects were hot wiring the golf carts to steal them and then re-keying them and sold them on Facebook Marketplace. The sheriff's office has found four of the eight golf carts stolen in the villages so far. One of the golf carts was sold online to someone in Marion County. Most people tell me they try to park in a well-lit area, but say there's only so much you can do. I take the key and, like I said, we don't come down here with golf clubs on the back. I try to be, you know, cautious about it, but... When they're professional and know what they're doing, they're good at it. They can hotwire them and they're gone. Both Santiago and Andrews are facing several counts of grand theft. One of the victims tracked his golf cart down using the GPS to a nearby golf course. Deputies were able to pull Santiago over for expired tags and ultimately made the arrest. Until people are held accountable for their actions. Things ain't going to change, you know, they have to be held accountable. Again, the Sumter County Sheriff's Office believes there could be more victims out there. So if you have any information that will help investigators, please call the Sheriff's Office or you can call Crimeline and remain anonymous. Reporting in the villages, Stephanie Buffamonte, Fox 35 News.