Exploring Keith Rhoden: A 24-year-old Florida man has been arrested in connection to an armed robbery at a gas station in Winter Haven on Saturday, August 5. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office noted that the robbery took place around 2.57 am when Keith Rhoden, armed with a handgun, arrived at a Circle K store at 4980 Spirit Lake Road near Winter Haven.
The Rhoden flashed a gun at an employee outside the store before dragging him inside to the cash register, according to deputies. Rodhen emptied the cash, then took a bottle of Mountain Dew and a pack of Black & Mild smokes before running away. After pursuing Rhoden on foot through the Oak Preserve neighbourhood for only 30 minutes, deputies finally caught up with him at roughly 3.20 in the morning. According to an arrest document, deputies observed the Florida guy wandering along a field north of Spirit Lake Road and Thornhill Road as they arrived in the neighbourhood. He was allegedly discovered concealed behind a truck.
Who is Keith Rhoden?
Rhoden, a native of Winter Haven, was detained after police discovered cash, cigars, and a green face mask in his hands after a gas station heist. Sheriff Grady Judd said, “Credit also goes to the victim who provided a great description of the suspect and the direction, which he fled,” adding, “Credit also goes to the responding patrol deputies who handled this robbery exactly how you would want them to; this was a textbook response that resulted in a dangerous criminal being taken off of the streets very quickly.” The Florida guy has since been accused of armed burglary, probation violation, and robbery with a pistol.
Court documents stated that Rhoden has a criminal history that included petty theft, resisting arrest without violence and giving a police officer a fake identity. His probation for felony petit theft had started on July 20, according to WFTV.
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Who identified Joseph Paul Putzulu?
Rhoden’s arrest comes after another Florida man was arrested for allegedly stealing lobsters worth $1K from a Miami restaurant. Joseph Paul Putzulu, 55, was arrested on Saturday, August 5, and was later charged with two felony counts of burglary of an unoccupied structure and one count of third-degree grand theft. The theft took place on July 26 when the Miami Police Department reportedly received a call from the restaurant’s owner claiming that when he came to his eatery, he found the freezer open.
The owner then reviewed the security footage and discovered the crime was carried out by the same individual who had stolen several packets of lobsters from the restaurant on July 23. The owner stated the stolen lobsters were worth more than $1,000. “The defendant is seen throwing what appears to be packs of food over the rear gated fence. At approximately 2:51 a.m., the suspect is seen using a black cart to assist him to climb back over the gated fence to leave. The defendant is then seen loading the packets of food into the red shopping cart and leaving the area,” the arrest affidavit said. The Florida man was identified by the officers who had prior experience dealing with him.
