A Sun City Center, Fla., man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of trying to steal a generator that was being used to power traffic lights that may have been damaged by Hurricane Milton, law enforcement officials said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office announced that 40-year-old Soyal Zapata Dye was charged with third-degree grand theft during a state of emergency.
TECO Energy officials provided a photo of a man they stopped trying to steal a generator located at the corner of Sun City Center Boulevard and Stoneham Drive, according to a sheriff's office report. Officials provided the man's license plate, along with a photo, to the sheriff's office.
Officers tracked the address associated with the license plate and responded to the home with a K-9.
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A Florida man was arrested for trying to steal a generator used to power traffic lights after Hurricane Milton devastated the area. (Hillsboro Sheriff's Office)
Video footage taken by officers and posted on Facebook by the sheriff's office shows officers arriving at the home and asking to speak with Zapata-Dye. The man who was questioned initially refused to come out because he was preparing dinner.
Officers then approached him at the front door of his home, handcuffed him and told Zapata-Dai that he was only being detained.
One lawmaker told Zapata-Dai that some people “may have witnessed” him doing things he shouldn't have done.
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A Florida man was arrested on suspicion of stealing a generator used to power traffic lights after Hurricane Milton devastated the area. (Hillsboro Sheriff's Office)
“I saw a generator on Route 674, and it wasn't locked and it didn't have a name on it, so I thought someone had set it up,” Zapata-Dye told the lieutenant. This was captured on police body camera footage. .
Zapata-Dye was then arrested and placed in a police car.
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He was then charged with third-degree grand theft during a state of emergency.
