A 61-year-old Miami man was arrested Tuesday after he stole a pressure washer from the Home Depot in Marathon and then crashed a pickup truck after he was spotted by the Sheriff’s Office.
Gilberto Armas Diaz was charged with grand theft.
Workers at the Home Depot called the Sheriff’s Office at 4:51 p.m. to report a Hispanic male in a red, Ford pickup truck had just left with a $829 pressure washer without paying. Deputy Deborah Johnson spotted the truck northbound on U.S. 1 at Mile Marker 55.
The red truck began to speed away when Deputy Johnson got behind it. Deputies Anfernee Rodriguez, Andersen Harrill and Vincent Torres also responded. The truck crashed into the mangroves near Banana Drive. The pressure washer reported stolen was in the truck’s bed. The truck was unoccupied. Deputies began searching for the driver. The driver, later identified as Diaz, was found by Middle Keys Capt. Don Hiller between Banana Drive and the entrance to Curry Hammock State Park where he appeared to be flagging down vehicles. Diaz was taken into custody.
Workers from Home Depot were taken to the scene and they identified Diaz as the man who left with the pressure washer.
There were myriad other tools in the truck. Whether those tools were stolen is under investigation.
Diaz was taken to jail.