POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Two men from Winter Garden attempted to take advantage of Hurricane Milton’s approach by stealing from a construction site, but their getaway was thwarted, not by law enforcement, but by Florida sand.
On Tuesday evening, Polk County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a suspicious U-Haul truck at a construction site near US 27 and Sand Mine Road. Upon arrival, they found the truck bogged down in the sand, with two men, Andre Fernandes, 37, and Daniel Lima De Andrade, 38, trying to free it.
Deputies discovered stolen construction materials inside the U-Haul, including tools, sawhorses, gloves, and wood.
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The men were promptly arrested and charged with trespassing on a construction site, possession of burglary tools, and petit theft.
Due to the State of Emergency declared in Florida because of Hurricane Milton, the charges against the men carry enhanced penalties.
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