| Probable cause affidavit: |
SUBMITTED BY: MORTON, KEVIN 0551 (AR11119187) DID UNLAWFULLY AND KNOWINGLY OBTAIN, USE OR ENDEAVOR TO OBTAIN OR USE THE PROPERTY OF THE VICTIM, TO-WIT: COLEMAN BRAND AIR CONDITIONER (A/C) UNIT (VALUED AT ABOUT $2,000.00), OF THE VALUE OF THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($300.00) OR MORE, BUT LESS THAN FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($5,000.00), WITH THE INTENT TO EITHER TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DEPRIVE THE VICTIM OF A RIGHT TO THE PROPERTY OR A BENEFIT THEREOF, OR DID APPROPRIATE THE SAID PROPERTY TO HIS OWN USE OR THE USE OF ANY PERSON NOT ENTITLED THERETO, IN VIOLATION OF FLORIDA STATUTES 812.014(2)C(1). ON 020511, I WAS DISPATCHED TO 6740 WEST LINDEN DRIVE IN HOMOSASSA IN REFERENCE TO A POSSIBLE THEFT OF AN AIR CONDITIONING (A/C)UNIT. WHILE EN ROUTE, I WAS ADVISED BY DISPATCH THAT THE NEIGHBOR HAD OBSERVED TWO WHITE MALES DISMANTLING THE A/C UNIT ON A VACANT HOME. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE HAD CONFRONTED the TWO WHITE MALES AND THEY INFORMED HIM THEY WORK FOR DIVERSIFIED AIR CONDITIONING COMPANY AND THAT THEY WERE taking the A/C UNIT IN FOR SERVICE. UPON MY ARRIVAL, I OBSERVED TWO WHITE MALES STANDING BY A VEHICLE COVERING WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN A/C UNIT WITH A TARP. AT THAT TIME, I MADE CONTACT WITH BOTH SUBJECTS AND ASKED WHAT THEY WERE DOING. DEFENDANT KEVIN RUANE STATED TO ME THEY WERE REMOVING THE A/C UNIT FROM THE RESIDENCE FOR THE REALTOR. HOWEVER, DEFENDANT RUANE WAS NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THE NAME OF the REALTOR OR THE COMPANY. DEFENDANT RUANE STATED TO ME THAT HE HAD MADE A BAD CHOICE AND AT THAT TIME I ASKED HIM WHAT HE MEANT BY MAKING A BAD CHOICE. HE STATED THAT HE AND DEFENDANT CHRISTOPHER SALA, JR WERE IN the PROCESS OF TAKING THE A/C UNIT. I THEN READ DEFENDANT RUANE HIS MIRANDA RIGHTS. HE was plAcED in HANDcuffs (DOUBLE LOCKED) BEHIND HIS BACK. HE STATED HE UNDERSTOOD HIS RIGHTS AND AGREED TO SPEAK TO ME. AT THAT TIME, DEFENDANT RUANE was patted down. from his riGhT, front pants pocket i did remOVE a flat head screwdriveR and also a pAiR of electrical dike wire cutters. DEFENDANT RUANE was Also wearing a pair of fox brand gloves. DEFENDANT RUANE INFOrMED ME THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD ABOUT the VACANT RESIDENCE BY A UNKNOWN INDIVIDUAL WHILE AT the KANGAROO GAS STATION EARLIER TODAY. HE STATED THE SUBJECT HAD INFORMED HIM OF THE A/C UNIT BEING THERE AND THAT AT THAT TIME HE HAD CONTActed DEFENDANT CHRISTOPHER salA, jr, AT WHICH TIME, the two came over to the residence and removed the thermostat wire, the power supply and disconnected the duct work from the a/c unIT. AFTER THEY DISCONNECTED THE A/C UNIT FROM THE RESIDENCE, they carrIED A/C unit arouNd to THE fRont of THE resIdEncE AND plAcED iT IN the reaR of their truck and werE in thE procESS of covering it with a tarp upon my arrival. DEFENDANT ruANE stated they were going to strip whatever USABLE parts ofF of THE uniT to sell and the rest would be TAKEN TO A recyCLING yard. i made contact with defendant CHRISTOPHER SALA, JR AND reaD him his MIRANDA rights. he STATED he undersTooD hiS righTs and AGREED TO SPEAK TO ME. DEFENDANT sAla, JR stated he had comE to THE resIDENCE with defENDANT RUANE with the intent to takE the a/c unit. DEFENDANT SALA, JR staTED both hE and DEFENDANT RUANE DiSconNECTED the unit from reSidence and Were in tHE prOcESS of coverING it with a tarp in the bed oF His truck upON my arrival. DEFENDANT sAla, jr stated that they were going to recycle the metal that was in the unit. DEFENDANT sala, jr was hANDCUFFED (DOUBLE-LOCKED) behind his back. THE DEFENDANT WAS PATTED DOWN AND A pair of electrical wire cutters wAS removed from his RIGHT, rear pants POCKET. sgt bloomer arrived on scene AND STOOD BY WITH BOTH DEFENDANTS. This depUTY pullED baCk the tarp to oBsErve a coleman brand air conditioning unit, serial numbER a0l4149138, MODEL number pac030H1021B, VALUED AT APPROXIMATELY $2,000.00. BOTH DEFENDANTS WERE SECURED IN THE REAR OF MY PATROL CAR AND TRANSPORTED TO THE CITRUS COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY FOR BOOKING AND PROCESSING. BECAUSE THE DEFENDANTS HAD MINIMAL CRIMINAL HISTORIES AND WERE COOPERATIVE DURING THIS INVESTIGATION, BOTH WERE RELEASED ON THEIR OWN RECOGNIZANCE WITHOUT BOND. "If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate in this proceeding, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. Please contact the ADA Coordinator at the Office of the Trial Court Administrator, Citrus County Courthouse, 110 North Apopka Avenue, Inverness, Florida 34450, Telephone (352) 341-6700, at least 7 days before your scheduled court appearance, or immediately upon receiving this notification if the time before the scheduled appearance is less than 7 days; if you are hearing or voice impaired, call 711.” *NOT-EXEMPT* |
