POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A late-night report of a suspicious man prowling through a residential neighborhood ended with a Lake Wales man behind bars Monday night.
Polk County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 33-year-old John Southerland around 9:30 p.m. on April 27 after receiving a tip that someone had entered a private shed on Sally Street without the owner’s permission.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they quickly spotted a man who matched the description provided by witnesses. While the man, identified as Southerland, didn’t have any illegal items on him when he was stopped, the investigation didn’t end there.
Deputies began searching the immediate area and soon discovered a stolen weed-whacker that had been ditched on a neighboring property.
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Authorities confirmed the equipment had been taken from the shed earlier that evening. The weed-whacker was recovered by deputies and handed back to its rightful owner.
Records show this isn’t Southerland’s first run-in with the law. His prior criminal history includes various charges such as trespassing, criminal mischief, and giving false reports to law enforcement officers.
Following this latest incident, Southerland was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center. He now faces new charges of third-degree felony burglary and second-degree misdemeanor petit theft.
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