POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A morning trip to a Dundee Circle K ended with a trip to jail for one local man after residents helped a detective connect a security image to a face they knew all too well.
The incident unfolded on Friday, February 13, 2026, when the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a retail theft report at the convenience store located at 28200 US 27. According to investigators, the crime took place around 10 a.m. After securing a clear photo from the store’s surveillance footage, a PCSO detective skipped the traditional waiting game and took the evidence directly to the pavement.
The detective spent time showing the suspect’s photo to people in the surrounding area, looking for any leads on his identity. The strategy paid off quickly. Several citizens immediately recognized the man in the picture, identifying him by his first name, Colton. One resident even provided a location where he lived.
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Following the trail, the detective arrived at a residence less than a mile away from the scene of the crime. There, he made contact with 27-year-old Colton Gauge Summers.
When confronted with the surveillance photo, Summers admitted that he was indeed the individual captured on camera.
However, he maintained his innocence regarding the actual theft. According to the Sheriff’s Office, when the detective informed him that the video footage showed him taking items, Summers’ cooperation came to a halt. He reportedly told the officer he didn’t remember the specifics and “didn’t want to argue,” refusing to answer any further questions.
Summers was arrested on the spot and transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center. He currently faces a charge of petit theft.
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