Quick-acting resident confronts would-be thief, leading to drug charges and the arrest of two alleged accomplices.
A Monday afternoon for a Winter Haven couple turned into a close-quarters citizen’s arrest, which ultimately led to the detention of three people on a variety of charges, including burglary, resisting arrest, and possession of methamphetamine.
The incident occurred on Monday, September 29th, in the Eloise Woods East Lake Mariam neighborhood—also known locally as “The Counties Neighborhood.” A resident, who has not been named, was sitting on their porch when they observed a suspicious man, later identified as 31-year-old Rusty Waddle, acting suspiciously near a parked work truck.
According to a report from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the witness watched as Waddle illegally entered the vehicle and removed an air compressor. The quick-thinking resident immediately got off the porch, approached Waddle, and reportedly told him to return the stolen property. Waddle complied, placing the air compressor back into the truck…