POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Lakeland man is facing criminal charges this week after a Sunday evening tear through a local neighborhood left a trail of broken property and a very blurry memory.
Polk County Sheriff’s deputies caught up with 27-year-old Cody Laine McAuliffe around 6:30 p.m. on April 26, following reports of a one-man wrecking crew operating near the intersection of Saddlewood Boulevard and Rockridge Road.
The chaos began north of Lakeland when a witness reported seeing McAuliffe snap a wooden mailbox post clean in half.
According to investigators, the suspect didn’t stop there, allegedly bending a “No Trespassing” sign on the same property before migrating to a neighboring yard to continue the spree.
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The second homeowner didn’t fare much better; deputies say McAuliffe smashed another mailbox, knocked over a stone birdbath, wrecked several birdfeeders, and scattered solar lights across the lawn.
When a PCSO deputy finally located McAuliffe to get his side of the story, the suspect offered a straightforward, if messy, explanation.
He admitted to consuming a significant amount of alcohol, stating he had reached a point of being “blackout drunk” and simply couldn’t recall the trail of destruction he’s accused of leaving behind.
Despite the memory gap, the evidence on the ground led to immediate consequences. McAuliffe was arrested and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
He has been charged with two counts of criminal mischief, both classified as second-degree misdemeanors.
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