A months-long headache for Valrico drivers came to an abrupt end Tuesday morning, when Hillsborough County police arrested a local man accused of purposefully throwing roofing nails across busy intersections.
Authorities announced the arrest of Felix Uresti, 51, concluding an investigation that started in October.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), deputies were conducting surveillance around 10:37 a.m. on January 13 when they noticed Uresti exiting a white 2022 Toyota Tundra. Deputies say he was spotted placing nails right onto the pavement along Miller Road before being arrested.
The problem initially became apparent on September 11, 2025, when the Sheriff’s Office began receiving complaints of hundreds of nails dispersed around South Miller Road and Lithia Center Lane. Over the next five months, officials documented 27 separate accidents in the region, with multiple vehicles sustaining vehicle damage near the crossroads of Bucknell Road and Miller Road.
During a check of Uresti’s truck, investigators discovered a huge bucket in the back seat packed with the identical roofing nails seized from the roads.
Sheriff Chad Chronister denounced the actions as a threat to public safety.
“Throwing nails into the roadway is a deliberate and malicious act that puts innocent people in danger and carries serious consequences,” Chronister said in a statement. “This was a senseless decision that endangered working families, children, and first responders when seconds matter most.”
Uresti has been charged with throwing a lethal missile into a vehicle, violating the Florida Litter Law, and committing six counts of criminal mischief totaling $1,000 or more.
Investigators suspect that the nail dispersal may have harmed other drivers as well. HCSO is requesting anybody who witnessed tire or car damage on Miller Road to call detectives at (813) 247-8200.
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