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Fuel Pump Felony: Polk County Sheriff Swarms Stolen SUV At Auburndale Wawa

POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Late Wednesday night turned into a takedown at an Auburndale Wawa when law enforcement swarmed a stolen SUV while it sat at a gas pump.

Around 10:47 p.m. on May 13, 2026, deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Auburndale Police Department moved in on a 2015 Toyota Rav4 that had been flagged as stolen out of Volusia County.

Police units successfully boxed the vehicle in before the driver could pull away from the gas station. Two occupants were immediately detained: 37-year-old Juan Hector Mugica of Orlando and 35-year-old Kaycha Lynn Rivera of Bradenton.

The interaction with the suspects was brief. According to authorities, Rivera offered no statement other than the word “lawyer.”

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Mugica, despite being observed by deputies in the driver’s seat, told investigators, “I was not driving.” Records later revealed that Mugica’s license had been canceled since 2013, and he is currently designated as a habitual traffic offender.

The pair was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center for booking. Mugica faces a string of charges, including grand theft of a motor vehicle, habitual driving with a suspended or revoked license, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and refusing to sign a criminal summons.

Rivera was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle.

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