BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – A routine investigation into a stolen trailer led Hernando County Sheriff’s deputies to uncover a significant cache of stolen property at a Brooksville home, resulting in the arrest of a resident on multiple felony charges.
The investigation began on Friday, October 18, 2025, when deputies, including Deputy Castillo and Deputy Beebe, were following a lead on a trailer reported stolen out of Lake County, Florida. Their search brought them to a property at 910 Josephine Street in Brooksville.
Upon locating and confirming the identity of the Lake County trailer, a crime scene was established, and District Detectives were called to the location. While on the scene, deputies were told by a resident that the trailer was reportedly “owned” by Eugene Hicks Jr., 47.
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Hicks later arrived at the property and told deputies he had purchased the trailer for $800 from an unknown individual in Brooksville, claiming he could not provide any further information about the seller.
Search Warrant Reveals More Stolen Goods
Detectives secured and executed a search warrant for the property. During the subsequent search, deputies located a second trailer that had been reported stolen, this one out of Hernando County.
The search further yielded a considerable amount of other property. Serial number checks confirmed that multiple appliances, tools, and air conditioning units were also stolen. The confirmed stolen items included two A/C units, a washer, and a dryer, with at least three of the recovered items traced back to thefts in Spring Hill.
Additional property recovered from the location included another washer, dryer, air-conditioning unit, dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, and oven. The original victim of the Lake County trailer theft responded to the property and was able to take possession of his recovered property.
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Charges and Bond
As a result of the investigation, Eugene Hicks Jr. was arrested and charged with several offenses, including:
- Grand Theft (6 counts)
- Dealing in Stolen Property (2 counts)
- Burglary (1 count)
Hicks was transported to the Hernando County Detention Center and is being held on a $112,500 bond.
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office noted that this is an ongoing investigation and extended their thanks to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance. Authorities are urging anyone with further information on the case to contact Hernando County Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-866-990-TIPS (8477).
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