A Lehigh Acres man faces several charges after authorities say he stole a U-Haul pickup and fled into the woods near the Lehigh Acres Walmart on Wednesday.
Carlos Alberto Rodriguez, 30, faces charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle; fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer; reckless driving; resisting without violence; and driving with a suspended license.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday were alerted to the location of a stolen U-Haul pickup.
A U-Haul representative actively relayed the vehicle’s location to deputies, which indicated it was at the Fort Myers McDonald’s, 14985 Tamiami Trail, the sheriff’s office said.
When sheriff’s deputies arrived, they found the stolen pickup along with Rodriguez in the driver’s seat. As deputies asked Rodriguez for his ID, he turned on the truck and took off, authorities said.
Have you seen her? Bench warrant issued for Lehigh Acres caretaker who stole over $70K in jewelry
As Rodriguez fled, the sheriff’s office’s aviation unit began to track the stolen pickup’s movements, the sheriff’s office said.