POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Davenport man has been arrested for stealing hundreds of dollars’ worth of landscaping plants and bushes from his own neighborhood, the Highlands Reserve community.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested 48-year-old Jose Manuel Codero Tosado on March 7th, following an investigation into multiple thefts that occurred in February and March.
Detectives discovered that the suspect was using a black Ford F-150 pickup truck with distinctive rear window decals to transport the stolen plants. Surprisingly, the investigation revealed that the suspect appeared to be a resident within the Highlands Reserve neighborhood itself.
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The F-150 was found parked at a residence on the same street where many of the thefts occurred. Upon inspection, detectives noticed loose soil on the bumper and a leaf consistent with the stolen plants.
When confronted, Codero Tosado denied detectives permission to look under the truck’s bed cover. However, a search warrant was obtained, and detectives found more soil and plant material under the cover.
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Codero Tosado was arrested and transported to the Polk County Jail. He faces charges of grand theft, criminal mischief (three counts), and trespassing (three counts).
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