A 41-year-old Pompano Beach man was arrested after allegedly stealing a truck and breaking into an Ocala business.
On October 3, a Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to I-75 Mega Sales located at 7099 NW 44th Avenue in Ocala in response to a suspected burglary.
A witness told the deputy that two people with flashlights were outside the business after hours, and the witness pointed the deputy toward two trucks that were parked at a nearby abandoned house.
The witness stated that both trucks, a brown 2005 Ford F-250 and a white 2000 Ford F-250, were warm to the touch, so they were recently driven to the house.
A check of the 2005 Ford truck’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) revealed the Ocala Police Department had reported the vehicle stolen.
The 2000 Ford truck’s VIN search identified a female Coconut Creek woman as the vehicle’s owner. This truck was not reported as stolen.
Multiple deputies waited by the vehicles for the owners to show up, and while they waited, an abduction was reported to OPD. It was determined that the call was made from behind the abandoned residence where the trucks were parked.
According to the report, deputies believed the call was an attempt to move them away from the trucks.
MCSO deputies contacted I-75 Mega Sales personnel and were able to gain full access to the business. They discovered that the fence to the property was cut and the security cameras had been moved.
One of the sheds belonging to the business had been entered, and two sets of shoe prints were observed by deputies inside the shed.
Since the truck’s respective owners did not show up, a deputy searched both trucks prior to having them towed. Inside the 2000 Ford truck, the deputy found an iPhone, a driver’s license for Timothy Antoine Silas, and numerous credit cards and gift cards in his name.
During a background search on Silas, deputies found numerous prior arrests in Broward County, including a prior burglary (March 2015), fraudulent use of credit cards (June 2019), and two counts of motor vehicle grand theft (June 2018).
The female owner of the 2000 Ford Truck later reached out to MCSO and advised that she was in a relationship with Silas and had last seen him on October 2 in the evening. She stated that she had not seen her truck in over a week, but she had not yet reported it as stolen.
On October 11, Silas contacted MCSO and requested that his personal items be returned, a request that was denied due to the ongoing investigation. He claims that on October 3, he was drinking at a friend’s house in South Florida, and he then drove the truck back to his home before passing out drunk.
A search warrant was issued on October 12 for the iPhone that was discovered inside the truck. On October 14, a search of the phones contents revealed text messages sent between Silas and another individual between September 30 and October 1 that mention a “big shop” and wanting to make something happen.
A further search of phone activity from the last week in September revealed messages by Silas referencing golf carts, and a web browser search for “golf cart dealers near me” and “trailer store near me”. I-75 Mega Sales primarily sells storage containers, golf carts, and trailers.
Silas was arrested on Tuesday, October 19 around 5:00 p.m. and he was transported to Marion County Jail. He faces felony charges for burglary and grand theft.
He was released earlier today on $12,000 bond and has an upcoming court date on November 23 at 9:00 a.m., according to jail records.