Two men were recently arrested in Osceola County after they allegedly stole appliances from local homes under construction.
According to the St. Cloud Police Department, officers responded to the Live Oak Lake community located on U.S. 192, east of Narcoossee Road, after a resident reported suspicious activity in the area.
Upon arrival, the officers spotted a moving truck and sedan traveling near the incident location, and a traffic stop was attempted. SCPD stated that the drivers of both vehicles – later identified as 26-year-old Orlando resident Gabriel Sarmiento and 24-year-old Kissimmee resident John Michael Torres Colon – briefly attempted to flee from law enforcement.
However, Sarmiento and Torres Colon allegedly drove down a dead-end street, where they were apprehended.
During an interior search of the moving truck, officers allegedly found multiple home appliances including ovens, dishwashers, and refrigerators. These appliances were later confirmed to be missing from nearby homes that were under construction, according to SCPD.
In addition, SCPD stated in a social media post that “illegal narcotics” were seized from the moving truck, along with a handgun. The officers also discovered that the moving truck had been reported as stolen.
Sarmiento and Torres Colon were arrested and booked into Osceola County Jail. They are both facing a slew of charges including burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft, trespassing on a construction site, criminal mischief, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and possession of drugs and related paraphernalia.
“These acts have no business in our community and will not be tolerated,” said St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke. “Criminals who think St. Cloud will offer an easy score are sorely mistaken, and we will use all resources to bring them swiftly to justice.”