POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced the arrest of 59-year-old James Pirkle, Sr., labeling the suspected burglar a “Grinch” whose criminal skills were as lacking as his holiday spirit.
According to the Sheriff, Pirkle went on a crime spree in the Pebble Brook area of Lakeland, allegedly breaking into a home and a vehicle to steal credit cards and a firearm. But it wasn’t just the crimes that drew the Sheriff’s ire—it was the suspect’s botched attempt at an alibi.
Investigators say they tracked Pirkle using surveillance footage from local homes and a Circle K, where he allegedly used the stolen cards. When confronted, Pirkle insisted deputies had the wrong man. He claimed video evidence from a nearby Shell station would exonerate him, proving he was simply buying milk at the time of the burglaries…