POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Winter Haven man faces multiple felony and misdemeanor charges following an investigation into a July residential burglary in Haines City, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies arrested 24-year-old Jose Carlos Perez-Juarbe on August 20 after a neighbor’s tip helped investigators break open the previously stalled case.
The incident began on July 19, 2026, when a homeowner reported that his residence had been burglarized while he was away on vacation. Initial inquiries by patrol deputies yielded no workable leads.
The break in the case came several weeks later through a conversation between the victim and a neighbor. The neighbor reported that Perez-Juarbe, an employee of the neighborhood’s contracted landscaping company, had approached her to ask whether the victim was still away on vacation. Recognizing the question as suspicious in light of the recent break-in, the neighbor alerted the victim, who then relayed the detail to law enforcement.
Detectives reviewed records and determined that Perez-Juarbe had been in the neighborhood on July 9. The contracted lawn care company later confirmed to investigators that Perez-Juarbe was not scheduled to work in that neighborhood on that date.
When detectives reached out by phone to question Perez-Juarbe, investigators stated that he provided false information during the interview.
Detectives went to Perez-Juarbe’s residence on August 20 to conduct a follow-up. While deputies were waiting outside the home, Perez-Juarbe arrived driving a motorcycle.
According to sheriff’s officials, Perez-Juarbe was operating the motorcycle with a driver’s license that had been suspended since 2022 and lacked a motorcycle endorsement. A check of the vehicle revealed it was unregistered and carried an invalid tag. Records also showed that Perez-Juarbe was actively on probation for a prior charge of dealing in stolen property.
Deputies took Perez-Juarbe into custody at the scene and transported him to the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
He was booked on charges of second-degree felony burglary, third-degree felony grand theft, violation of probation, providing false information to law enforcement, driving with a suspended or revoked license, attaching an unassigned tag, operating an unregistered vehicle, and operating a vehicle without proper endorsement.
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