“Charlotte County is on point and this is why I know to never commit a crime in this county!” – Terrence Turner, Charlotte County resident
Terrence Turner might be the happiest victim of theft our deputies have ever responded to – likely because when deputies responded to his call for service, the bicycle had already been recovered and a suspect was in custody!
On Saturday, June 16, deputies responded to Publix (4265 Tamiami Trail) in reference to a reported stolen bicycle. Deputy Brooks recognized the description of the bicycle provided on the radio, as he had conducted a Field Interview on Mr. Turner earlier in the afternoon. A Field Interview is documentation of a deputy stepping out with someone in their assigned neighborhood of patrol to identify who they are. Field Interviews frequently lead to the identification of possible witnesses or suspects in incidents where there is a delay in the reporting, because it is documentation of who was in the area at that time.
During this Field Interview, Deputy Brooks obtained descriptive information of the bicycle belonging to Turner, in the event that it would ever be reported lost or stolen. A photograph was also taken. This information would be useful just a few short hours later when Deputy Brooks responded to the call of the bicycle’s theft.
Responding to the call, at approximately 2:13pm, Deputy Brooks observed a white male riding Mr. Turner’s bicycle at a fast rate away from the scene of the theft. Deputy Brooks stopped the cyclist, identifying him as Damien Mosser (5/9/77). Deputy Brooks was able to confirm the bicycle belonged to Mr. Turner by checking the Serial Number which he had previously documented. During a search of Mosser, a marijuana pipe was also located in his pant pocket.
The bicycle was returned to Mr. Turner, who was also able to positively identify Mosser as the subject who stole his bicycle from the Publix Store.
Damien Mosser was arrested and charged with Petit Theft ($100-$300) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was held on a $4,000 bond.
The victim was contacted after the incident by the Watch Commander as part of a daily Service Quality Review, during which time he expressed his gratefulness for the quick resolution to his call for help.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office will register your bicycle for free with our agency. In the unfortunate event that your bicycle is lost or stolen, deputies will the identifying information needed to identify your property. Registration forms are available at every district office location.
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