Volusia County News
Volusia County, Fl. — An Ocala man named Charles Harrington has been arrested after police told him he went on a massive crime spree through Volusia County.
A Florida man was very busy Tuesday when the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office called an “impressive crime spree” that involved at least four stolen vehicles and property damage.
Volusia County deputies said they were called out to the Pierson area Tuesday morning to report an accident on US Highway 17 and Palmetto Avenue. Deputies discovered a stolen Ford F-150 truck stuck in the mud up to the tailgate, body camera video shows. No one was inside the truck and the deputy said it was stolen from Marion County.
While investigating the abandoned truck, witnesses ransacked two buildings and reported another Ford F-150 and a forklift stolen. According to the arrest report, the forklift was driven around until the gas ran out. The suspect then stole a Ford F-150 and crashed into the woods. Deputies said the catalytic converter was disconnected from the truck when it was discovered.
Then, the deputies received another tip about theft and a stolen car. At that residence, victims said the suspect took keys and a pair of shoes from the garage and stole a car.
Subsequently, the deputies received another report of theft but it was a four-wheeler. According to his daughter looking after the property, the owner of the four-wheeler was in the hospital with coronavirus at the time of the theft.
Another property owner called the deputy and said that while he was spraying insecticides, he could hear the four-wheeler on his property. According to the arrest report, he began following the tracks and did so until he found a man walking by, who asked if he could drink from the sprinkler. Reportedly, the owner of the property told her that “there was poison in the water lines” and it was not safe to drink.
Eyewitnesses said the man started running after their conversation. Deputies encountered 24-year-old Charles Harrington, walking down County Road 3 when a neighbor reported him jumping a fence and lurking in the woods.
According to the arrest report, all these thefts happened within 18 hours.
“To be clear, this is a very rural area and foot traffic is unheard of in these areas,” the arrested deputy wrote in the report.
The sheriff’s office released body camera video of Harrington’s arrest and one of the Ford trucks crashing into the mud.
When Harrington was stopped by a Volusia County Deputy, the man said he was “swimming” with his “old lady.” In the body camera video, Harrington said he knocked on someone’s door and “asked for some water, but other than that I did nothing.”
The deputy told Harrington that the sheriff’s office was “receiving several calls about you.”
According to the report, the keys to one of the stolen F-150s were found in his pocket, as well as a string linked to another theft. Later, the catalytic converter stolen from the truck was found on an unclaimed four-wheeler.
A deputy handcuffed Charles Harrington and found that there was an open warrant for Harrington out of Marion County.
Harrington has been charged with three counts of unarmed theft and three counts of grand theft of less than $100,000.
Stay tuned for more updates and Volusia County News.
