POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Thanks to the vigilance of an observant neighbor, a 58-year-old man with a history of theft has been arrested for allegedly stealing fishing poles from a porch in Bradley Junction.
The incident occurred on Monday, January 6th, around 2:10 PM, when a resident contacted the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to report a suspected theft in progress. The woman provided a detailed description of the suspect and the direction he was traveling.
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Deputies responded quickly and located the suspect, identified as James Prine, Jr., a short distance away.
Prine was found in possession of five fishing poles, which were confirmed to have been stolen from a neighbor’s porch.
When questioned by deputies, Prine claimed that he didn’t see a “No Trespassing” sign and, therefore, assumed it was okay to take the poles.
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Prine has a lengthy criminal history, including previous convictions for burglary, grand theft, and dealing in stolen property. He has served time in state prison on multiple occasions and has theft convictions dating back to 1991, 1997, and 2015.
Following his arrest, Prine was transported to the Polk County Jail and charged with burglary and felony petit theft. The theft charge was enhanced to a felony due to his prior theft convictions.
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