BUNNELL, Fla. — A vigilant citizen who “saw something and said something” lead Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies to a man who had stolen power tools and had narcotics in his possession.
On Wednesday, deputies responded to Rockne Lane after an alert resident reported seeing a suspicious person caring large objects along their fenceline. Deputies canvassed the area and located Phillip Demaio Jr., 18, of Bunnell, throwing objects from the roadway into the woods.
While searching Demaio for weapons, deputies located a pocket knife and a syringe. They also retrieved a cigarette carton Demaio had placed on the deputy’s patrol car. The needle on the syringe tested positive for fentanyl, and a wet cotton ball located inside the cigarette carton tested positive for methamphetamine.
Several power tools — including a DeWalt leaf blower, Makita drill bit set, and a Milwaukee hammer — were among the items in Demaio’s possession, as well as a large Orca cooler..
Deputies spoke to residents in the area, and a homeowner told deputies they were missing items from the back of their pickup truck. The victim’s items were returned to them, and they decided to press charges.
“This is another great example of ‘see something, say something’ in action,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “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.”
