Burglars flee scene, tracked and apprehended by K-9

October 6, 2022 – Port Charlotte, FL

Two suspects have been arrested on charges of Grand Theft, Residential Burglary, Resisting Arrest, and Causing Bodily Harm to a Police Dog after deputies responded to a call after a neighbor witnessed them at the scene of a Habitat for Humanity construction site.

At approximately 7:30pm on Wednesday evening, deputies responded to the home in question. Upon arrival, they met with the witness, who informed that a friend had called him and said that there were people on the roof of the home throwing materials down and loading them into a truck. The witness then walked to the scene, where he observed two males walking from the passenger side of a pickup truck toward the entrance of the home. The witness advised that he asked the pair what they were doing, at which time the truck immediately sped off. The witness stated the truck bed had been weighed down on one side, which he could tell because of the angle at which it sat. The remaining males then fled the scene. Charlotte County deputies contacted Indian River County Sheriff’s Office K9 deputies, who are in Charlotte County to provide assistance during the Hurricane Ian recovery efforts. IRCSO deputies deployed their K9 partner and began a track from the scene in the direction that the suspects ran.

A short time after, IRCSO deputies announced that they had located the suspects hiding in the tree line of a wooded lot. After the suspects failed to obey several lawful commands from deputies to come out, their K9 was released and bit one of them, identified as Odilio Miranda (5/1/2002), on the leg. At that time, the other suspect (a juvenile) began kicking the K9 in the ribs until being taken to the ground by a deputy. Both suspects were then taken into custody.

“I have said it before and I will say it again; if you try to prey on the people of Charlotte County, you will find yourself wishing you hadn’t. I want to thank Indian River County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in taking these two off the streets and getting them behind bars where they belong.”

Sheriff Prummell

The Director of Habitat for Humanity was contacted, and she advised that the home had just received a shipment of supplies days prior to Hurricane Ian. Those supplies included shingles, plywood, tubs, siding and HVAC equipment.

The suspects were transported to the Charlotte County Jail, where they are being held on an immigration detainer.

Please continue to report suspicious activity to the CCSO non-emergency number, (941) 639-2101. Always dial 911 in an emergency.