WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A Winter Haven man learned the hard way that crime doesn’t pay after a home security system caught him stealing fishing poles, leading to his arrest and the booking of his companion on separate drug charges on Monday evening.
The incident began when a homeowner on Trinity Circle NW in Winter Haven received a real-time alert from his security system warning him of unlawful activity on his property. Checking the live video feed, the victim spotted a man he recognized entering his carport and walking off with four fishing poles.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office quickly identified the suspect on camera as 22-year-old Elijah Neiro of Winter Haven. Knowing where Neiro frequently hangs out, deputies headed over to a residence on 36th Street NW to locate him.
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Instead of just finding their suspect, deputies stumbled into a second arrest. Upon arrival, they witnessed 25-year-old Nicholas Land quickly stand up, pull a syringe out of his pocket, and toss it underneath a mobile home. Deputies recovered the syringe, determined it contained methamphetamine, and immediately took Land into custody.
Shortly after, deputies spotted Neiro riding a bicycle nearby. When ordered to stop, Neiro refused, forcing deputies to physically intervene and pull him off the bike.
The stolen fishing poles were successfully recovered and returned to the homeowner.
Neiro now faces charges of Burglary of a Dwelling, Petit Theft, and Resisting without Violence. Land was booked into jail on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
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