LAKELAND, Florida — Eleven suspects have been arrested and charged with various crimes, including grand theft and environmental offenses, following a burglary investigation at a service member’s vacant home, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
On March 16, 2025, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a 38-year-old U.S. Air Force member stationed in North Dakota after he noticed an unusual spike in his electricity bill. Deputies discovered Brindy Matos, 39, living in a shed on his property in south Lakeland, along with drugs and paraphernalia. An unknown male, later identified as Matos’ boyfriend, Anthony Maddox Jr., 31, fled the scene but was later apprehended.
The investigation revealed that the victim’s home and other buildings had been broken into, and several items, including a 2007 black Toyota Cruiser, a John Deere riding lawn mower, and a golf cart, were missing. Detectives were led to a nearby property with environmental hazards, where five people were charged with environmental crimes, and Maddox was found hiding in a garage…