Three people were arrested in a lackadaisical burglary attempt after a Good Samaritan stopped the theft.
A man sitting on his porch with his wife confronted the thief and told him to put the stolen item back.
The crime occurred at around 3:00pm in the Eloise Woods East Lake Mariam area of Winter Haven. The witnesses watched as 31-year-old Rusty Waddle got into an unlocked work vehicle and stole an air compressor.
According to law enforcement, the Good Samaritan got off his porch, approached Rusty, and told him to put the air compressor back, which Waddle did.
The witness then told the worker whose truck had been burgled, and he also called the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to report Waddle’s actions. A deputy soon arrived in the neighborhood and went to the residence where he resides.
It took numerous attempts before two occupants finally came to the door. They were identified as 26-year-old Ashleigh Jarvis and 29-year-old Justin Smith.
Jarvis told the deputies that nobody else was inside. That was a lie, according to PCSO.
Deputies found Rusty Waddle hiding in a bedroom closet and he was arrested, along with Jarvis and Smith. All three were taken to the Sheriff’s Processing Center.
Rusty Waddle was charged with: Burglary, Petit Theft, Resisting, and Possession of Methamphetamine and Drug Paraphernalia.
Justin Smith and Ashleigh Jarvis were both charged with Resisting. PCSO said that Jarvis also caught a charge for Giving False Information to LEO.
