POLK COUNTY, FLORIDA: 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.
Deputies noted that the Rhoden first approached an employee outside the store and pointed a gun at him before taking him to the cash register. After clearing out the money, Rodhen stole Black & Mild cigars and a bottle of Mountain Dew before fleeing. Just 30 minutes later, deputies arrested Rhoden around 3.20 am after chasing him on foot through the Oak Preserve neighborhood. An arrest affidavit stated that as deputies arrived in the area, they saw the Florida man walking near a field north of Spirit Lake Road and Thornhill Road. He was reportedly found hiding behind a truck.
Who is Keith Rhoden?
Rhoden is a Winter Haven native, who was arrested after police found cash, cigars and a green face mask in his possession following a robbery at a gas station. “The responding patrol deputies, aided by K-9 and Aviation, 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,” Sheriff Grady Judd said, adding, “Credit also goes to the victim who provided a great description of the suspect and the direction, which he fled.” The Florida man has since been charged with robbery with a firearm, armed burglary structure and violation of probation.
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.
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.
