A 21 year old Hollywood man was caught burglarizing a vessel in Key Largo. He fought with the owner and then fled, but was later apprehended by deputies.
The victim told Deputy Deanna Torres he was inside his house on Coconut Row in Key Largo about 9 p.m. when he heard a noise coming from his boat, which was parked on a trailer in his driveway. He went outside and saw a man inside of his boat. The suspect – later identified as 21 year old Michael Polanco – jumped off the boat and began walking toward the victim. The victim told him to get on the ground and began yelling for his neighbors to call the Sheriff’s Office for help.
Polanco reportedly punched the victim in the face and the two began wrestling in the street. The victim said he was trying to hold the suspect there until deputies arrived. Polanco managed to break away when his shirt came off in the struggle. He jumped on his bicycle, which was parked nearby. The victim knocked him off the bike, but Polanco fled on foot.
When deputies arrived, they found a bonfire and a house party taking place just down the street. They asked the victim to see if he could spot the suspect at the party. As Deputy Cody Kerns and the victim were standing there, looking at the gathering, Polanco jumped a fence near them. Deputy Kerns shined a flashlight on him. The victim immediately identified him as the man on his boat, who had attacked him.
Polanco was arrested. He was charged with burglary with battery and with trespassing and he was booked into jail.