A homeless man was arrested after he admitted to stealing a wheelbarrow from an Ocala Dairy Queen to use to carry his dog, who has a broken leg.
Joseph Justin Redding, 20, was charged with first-degree petit theft of an item valued between $100 and $300, as well as possession of drug equipment.
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy responded Wednesday morning to restaurant, located at 4412 W. Hwy. 326, where the assistant manager reported someone stole the yellow True Temper wheelbarrow overnight from inside a secured fenced area behind the store. Security footage showed a white male, later identified as Redding, leaving the location with the wheelbarrow and his dog, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The manager said she believed the suspect was homeless, which led the deputy to search the known homeless camps near the incident location. While searching the wooded area behind McDonald’s, the deputy found Redding sleeping with his dog, about five feet away from the wheelbarrow, the report said.
After being read his Miranda warning, Redding admitted to stealing the wheelbarrow. He said he used a metal pole to make an opening in the fence so he could walk in and take it. Redding said he stole the wheelbarrow because the one he had was too small to carry his dog, who has a broken leg, according to the report.
Redding was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was being held Friday on $2,000 bond. He will appear in Marion County Court on Jan. 6, 2021.