A homeless man accused of stealing a car was reportedly located while sitting on the toilet in a bathroom in a Florida park with the lights turned out.
On April 20, the Titusville Police Department received notification from someone reporting that their vehicle had been stolen.
Just before 9:30 pm, a deputy patrolling Dale Wimbrow Park in Sebastian noticed a car that they believed was parked in an odd location.
When the officer ran a check on the license plate they discovered that the car matched the appearance of the one reported stolen earlier that day.
The deputy decided to walk around the premises to see if anyone was around, and a public restroom for park patrons was found near the place that the car was parked.
All of the lights in the men’s and women’s bathrooms were turned off, and the deputy reportedly knocked on the door before walking into the men’s facility.
When inside, the deputy reported calling out to ask if anyone was present but saw no signs that indicated the bathroom was occupied.
According to the police report, when peering into the handicapped stall a man appeared to be sitting on the toilet in the act of going to the bathroom with “two shirts, pieces of broken electronics, hygiene items and packaging for LED lights” scattered about.
As stated by the deputy, they remained with the suspect in full sight for safety reasons. When the suspect appeared as if he was finished using the toilet and cleaned himself with toilet paper he allegedly made a point of showing the used tissue to the deputy, who reported that there was no fecal matter on it that could be seen.
Since the deputy reportedly got the impression that the man was trying to hide in the bathroom, the suspect was detained.
When the deputy asked for the suspect’s identity, the man, Charles Edward Johnson, allegedly provided a false birth date by changing his birth year from 1973 to 1968. His true birth date was reportedly uncovered using a fingerprint scanner.
The alleged vehicle theft victim supplied a description of the person they believed took their car, and the police asserted that Johnson and his clothing matched the information supplied.
Johnson was arrested and preliminarily charged for suspicion of grand theft auto, loitering, and giving a false name while detained.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.