Florida the rules are different here Chapter XCII

A thief who steals sewage covers.

LAKEWOOD RANCH - Deputies on patrol Sunday in Lakewood Ranch looking for vandalism and other crime charged a Bradenton man with grand theft of county property.

Deputies Larry Tetters and Will Kelly said they spotted the man using a set of bolt cutters to remove a stainless steel box covering a sewage lift station on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and Hidden River Trail. He had two of the steel boxes in his truck.

The boxes are worth more than $6,000 each, Tetters said.

Sunday's arrest was made under a new sheriff's office program called "power tracking," where deputies are directed to certain areas in the hope of catching criminal activity, Major John Hagaman of the Manatee County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

"The division commander, Captain Ron Couch, reviews all the crime statistics and comes up with directed patrols," Hagaman said. "We have had several thefts prior to this one, at lift stations belonging to the county."

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The man arrested Sunday was identified as Bruce Straubel, 43, of the 300 block of Cape Harbor Loop. He was released on $250 bond and is scheduled to appear in court April 11.

The theft of Manatee County-owned stainless steel boxes securing sewage lift station pumps had been going on for some time around the county, Hagaman said.

When the deputies first approached Straubel and asked what he was doing with the boxes, he replied, "I do maintenance on the boxes," according to the Sheriff's Office report.

I think we can safely say Mr. Straubel stinks at his work. Isn't this a great state or what?

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