Two men were arrested as they headed out of the county with three rolls of fencing material stolen from a construction project on Card Sound Road.
A passing motorist saw a van parked on the shoulder of the roadway on State Road 905 in a construction zone at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The motorist noticed three large rolls of construction fencing material in the back of the van and thought it was suspicious, so he stopped at Ocean Reef to report it to Ocean Reef Public Safety. Ocean Reef Public Safety in turn reported it to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Kyle Page and Sgt. Jason Madnick stopped the van northbound on Card Sound Road. They were backed up by Deputy Greg LaRochelle. The men inside the van were identified as 39 year old Darwin Velasquez of Homestead and 22 year old Romnel Zelaya of Palm Springs, Florida.
The two suspects were separated. Deputies spoke to both of them. They both claimed to have been coming to the Keys to go fishing. They both said once they reached the Keys they realized they had forgotten their fishing equipment. Each man blamed the theft of the fencing material on the other man.
Tags found on the rolls of fencing matched those on fencing material found at the construction site. Both men were arrested and charged with grand theft. They were booked into jail.
A passing motorist saw a van parked on the shoulder of the roadway on State Road 905 in a construction zone at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. The motorist noticed three large rolls of construction fencing material in the back of the van and thought it was suspicious, so he stopped at Ocean Reef to report it to Ocean Reef Public Safety. Ocean Reef Public Safety in turn reported it to the Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Kyle Page and Sgt. Jason Madnick stopped the van northbound on Card Sound Road. They were backed up by Deputy Greg LaRochelle. The men inside the van were identified as 39 year old Darwin Velasquez of Homestead and 22 year old Romnel Zelaya of Palm Springs, Florida.
The two suspects were separated. Deputies spoke to both of them. They both claimed to have been coming to the Keys to go fishing. They both said once they reached the Keys they realized they had forgotten their fishing equipment. Each man blamed the theft of the fencing material on the other man.
Tags found on the rolls of fencing matched those on fencing material found at the construction site. Both men were arrested and charged with grand theft. They were booked into jail.