A 19-year-old Fort McCoy man was arrested after he admitted to stealing a golf cart from the nearby residence of a deceased neighbor.
On October 6, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office Deputy responded to a NE 204th Lane residence in Fort McCoy in reference to a stolen golf cart.
A male neighbor had reported that a security camera alert from his home indicated possible theft from the next-door residence.
The neighbor told the deputy that security footage from around 10:30 p.m. showed a male pushing a golf cart from the property, and the man headed eastbound on 204th Lane with the golf cart. He added that the golf cart looked familiar, and likely belonged to his deceased neighbor.
The deputy reached out to the deceased neighbor’s daughter who is now the owner of the residence, including the golf cart, and she decided to pursue charges for the theft.
Further down the street, the deputy located the golf cart. It was unoccupied but had a backpack, a set of keys, and three credit cards on the seat. The name on the credit cards was Houston Michael Horton.
A cellphone was also retrieved from the golf cart. The deputy was able to access the phone since it was unlocked, and a quick check of a social media application revealed that the phone also belonged to Horton.
A little over two weeks later on Friday, October 22, a copy of the neighbor’s security camera footage was obtained, and the male on the video was identified as Horton.
The deputy went to Horton’s residence, which was within a few blocks of where the theft occurred. Horton admitted to stealing the golf cart, saying “it was a mistake” and that he did not want to do it.
Horton was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he faces multiple felony charges for grand theft and burglary.
He is currently being held on $6,000 bond, and a court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.