POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A suspicious incident involving an oil dump and a questionable ID led to the arrest of a 36-year-old Auburndale man last week. It seems Brian Owens’ attempt to shed a few pounds – or rather, a few inches – didn’t quite go according to plan.
On Friday, October 4th, a Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a report of a suspicious incident on East Main Street in Lakeland. A witness observed a man dumping oil onto the ground from a Dodge van before leaving the scene. The witness helpfully described the suspect as a white male with a black shirt, black pants, and a noticeable “belly hanging out.”
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Following this lead, the deputy visited a nearby scrap yard and inquired about anyone matching the description. Lo and behold, a man fitting the bill was present at the scrap yard. Upon making contact with the suspect, later identified as Brian Owens, the deputy noticed a discrepancy between Owens’ Tennessee ID, which listed him as 6’8″ tall, and his actual height, which was closer to 5’10”. Owens’ explanation? “Yeah, man…I lost weight.” (Apparently, his weight loss regimen involved shrinking by a whole foot.)
A fingerprint scanner quickly revealed Owens’ true identity, and further investigation uncovered a series of questionable activities. Owens had just scrapped the van, which was registered to a deceased person, for a mere $300. He was also found in possession of multiple bank cards belonging to other individuals.
To top it off, Owens had an active warrant for various charges, including violating probation, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of personal identification, DUI, and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
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Owens was arrested and charged with providing false information to law enforcement, providing false identification to a secondary metals recycler, and possession of five or more personal identification information. The investigation is ongoing, and one can only wonder what other “tall tales” Mr. Owens might have up his sleeve.
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