POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A late-night return home turned into a frightening discovery for an Auburndale woman on Friday when she found her apartment door damaged and signs of a forced entry. The incident, which occurred around 10:30 pm, led to the quick arrest of a man she reportedly knew.
Upon arriving at her residence, the victim noticed the damage to her front door and realized a break-in had occurred. Moments later, she saw the burglar fleeing her apartment and recognized him as 31-year-old Dustin Gene Kelton of Lake Wales, a man she had previously associated with.
Deputies were called to the scene. Upon entering the apartment, they confirmed that the suspect had rummaged through personal belongings, and a glass pipe containing methamphetamine was also recovered from the scene.
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Further investigation revealed that Kelton was already out on bond and subject to pre-trial release conditions that strictly prohibited him from having any contact with the victim.
Following up on leads regarding Kelton’s possible location, deputies successfully tracked him down later that night. The search led them to Greenwood Street in Lakeland, where he was apprehended without incident.
Dustin Kelton was transported to the Sheriff’s Processing Center and booked on multiple charges, including Burglary, Violation of Pre-Trial Release, and Criminal Mischief. Additional charges are pending based on the results of fingerprint analysis on the recovered glass pipe, which could potentially link him to drug possession.
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