PALM COAST, Fla. – A call from a vigilant resident helped Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrest an 18-year-old man found with stolen property and narcotics Wednesday afternoon.
Deputies responded to Rockne Lane after a resident reported seeing a suspicious person carrying large items along a fence line. While canvassing the neighborhood, deputies spotted Phillip Demaio Jr., 18, of Bunnell, throwing objects from the roadway into a wooded area.
During a search for weapons, deputies found a pocket knife and a syringe on Demaio. Investigators also recovered a cigarette carton he had placed on a patrol vehicle. Authorities said the syringe tested positive for fentanyl, while a wet cotton ball inside the carton tested positive for methamphetamine.
Several power tools were found in Demaio’s possession, including a DeWalt leaf blower, a Makita drill bit set, and a Milwaukee hammer, along with a large Orca cooler.
Deputies contacted nearby residents and learned that a homeowner was missing items from the back of a pickup truck parked in the area. The stolen property was returned to the victim, who chose to press charges.
“This is another great example of ‘see something, say something’ in action,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Thanks to a vigilant citizen and the diligent work of our deputies, this thief is in jail and items he had stolen have been returned to their owners.”
Demaio was arrested and charged with burglary of a conveyance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. He was taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later released on a $5,000 bond.
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