Deputies catch suspect accused of stealing $10K in boat GPS units in Charlotte County

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. —

A Cape Coral man was arrested in Charlotte County after deputies said he stole two marine units, each valued at an estimated $5,000.

The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said deputies reported seeing a suspicious vehicle traveling with all lights off on Bourbon Street in Englewood at approximately 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

The vehicle braked and made a sudden turn off the street where the deputy saw it. According to CCSO, the vehicle turned into a condo complex on Placida Road in an apparent attempt to evade law enforcement as the deputy caught up to the vehicle.

Another deputy watched the vehicle leave the complex and conducted a stop on S. McCall Road, and the first deputy joined them. Deputies said the vehicle's registered owner, identified as Luis Rochel Aguilar Sanchez, 33, was inside the vehicle with another man.

According to the sheriff's office, deputies asked for consent to search the vehicle due to the suspicious behavior they observed, and Sanchez agreed.

Deputies said they found a black backpack on the rear passenger side floorboard containing two Garmin marine GPS units with freshly cut wires, miscellaneous tools, a face mask, and latex gloves.

According to the report, the first deputy recalled seeing the vehicle near a business called Quality Boats of Charlotte Harbor along Placida Road. The deputy then went to the business to investigate and found one display boat with two missing Garmin units and a "distinct", fresh Adidas shoeprint nearby.

CCSO said the shoeprint was an identical match to the shoes Sanchez was wearing.

Sanchez and the other man were detained and taken in for an interview. Sanchez reportedly refused to answer any questions, but the other man explained that Sanchez asked to be dropped off near Nebraska Avenue and Towhee Street to meet a woman.

The sheriff's office noted that the Nebraska Ave and Towhee St intersection is adjacent to where the boat with the stolen GPS was found on the business property.

According to CCSO, the man told deputies he was told to wait nearby and that he received a call from Sanchez approximately 20 minutes later, asking to be picked up at the same intersection.

The man said that Sanchez told him to turn off his headlights as they drove away, which is when the first deputy saw the vehicle.

Sanchez was arrested and taken to the Charlotte County Jail on two counts of burglary, grand theft, possession of burglary tools, and unlawful use of a communications device.

CCSO said he was released on $12,500 bond.

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