A convicted felon was apprehended following a crime spree in Central Florida.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Randy Thomas Whitfield, a Lakeland man with 16 prior felony convictions, and charged him with multiple charges of grand theft, burglary, and trafficking in stolen items.
The Central Florida arrest came after a thorough investigation into company burglaries and the theft of lawn equipment and power tools.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest District detectives launched an investigation into burglary and grand theft at a lawn business on Combee Road South in Lakeland’s unincorporated area, where an unknown suspect stole four backpack blowers, five Echo hedge trimmers, seven Echo weed eaters, and three Echo edgers worth approximately $13,950. Surveillance footage from the company and surrounding neighborhood captured the suspect entering and departing in a newer model white Ford F-150.
During the investigation, a pattern of similar crimes emerged, with a regular pattern: fenced commercial buildings targeted at night, fences cut, lawn equipment and tools stolen, and a white Ford F-150 utilized as the getaway car. Surveillance images showed a shorter white male (about 5’5″) wearing a mask, gloves, and black clothing.
A PCSO crime analyst discovered that the truck was registered to Whitfield, who was definitively identified and charged in two Plant City instances involving the same car. The PCPD arrested him, and three days later he was freed from Hillsborough County Jail after posting bond.
The Lakeland Police Department received a report of a burglary at Lakeland Public Works, conducted by a masked person who cut the fence and stole a demo saw, a pole saw, and DeWalt grease guns. He was positively recognized as the same suspect in a Lakeland business burglary that resulted in the theft of $3,300.
Detectives acquired a search order for Whitfield’s home and truck and went to his East Lime Street flat. When they arrived, Whitfield was walking to his pickup, clutching the two saws from the Lakeland Public Works theft. Detectives discovered a big quantity of stolen tools and drugs inside the apartment where he lives alone. He originally confessed to authorities that he took the tools and equipment to sell at the flea market but then refused to answer more questions.
Randy Thomas Whitfield has been charged with eight counts of burglary; three counts of grand theft between $10,000 and $20,000; three counts of grand theft between $750 and $5,000; seven counts of criminal mischief; seven counts of possession of burglary tools; one count of dealing in stolen property; one count of petit theft; one count of possession of meth; one count of possession of Alprazolam; and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
All of his Polk County theft-related offenses have been increased by one degree because he wore a mask while committing the felonies.
“My detectives solved a burglary trend through hard work, thorough analysis, and cooperation with other agencies,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “This is why crime in Polk County is at an all-time low – we study crime patterns and trends and put the people who are committing the crimes in jail.”
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