A 37-year-old Belleview man was arrested after stealing a pickup truck and numerous personal items from a local residence.
On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, the Ocala Police Department received a report of a stolen vehicle.
According to the male victim, his 2008 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck had been stolen from outside his northeast Ocala residence.
The victim stated that he was out of town with his girlfriend, and he had allowed for a friend, Martin Scott Goodwin, Jr., to stay at the residence.
On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, Goodwin requested to use the victim’s pickup truck since he claimed that his own personal vehicle was being serviced. The victim gave Goodwin permission to use the truck, and the victim’s girlfriend gave him the combination to her safe where the keys were being stored.
Goodwin later told the victim that he did not need to use the truck since his own vehicle had been returned.
On Friday, December 3, 2021, the victim asked another friend to drive by the residence to check on the property. That friend informed the victim that the pickup truck was gone.
The victim called Goodwin multiple times but was unable to reach him. On Wednesday, December 15, 2021, the victim returned home with his girlfriend and the pickup truck was still missing.
The victim searched throughout the residence and discovered that numerous items were also gone: a toolbox, the safe and its contents which included the pickup truck’s keys and title, an antique projector, a Dell laptop, and a statue of the anatomy of a brain.
On Wednesday, December 29, 2021, an Ocala Police Department officer arrived at Goodwin’s residence, located him there, and conducted an interview. Goodwin admitted to taking the truck in order to move items from the victim’s residence.
Goodwin told the officer that he had since sold the pickup truck and he claimed to have received permission from the victim’s girlfriend to sell it.
He stated that the pickup truck was sold to a salvage yard in Daytona, and a worker from the salvage yard came and picked up the truck for $300.
When the officer asked if Goodwin had any other personal items that belonged to the victim, he initially denied it. He later admitted to having the safe, projector, and statue of the brain inside his residence, and he gave those items to the officer.
Goodwin denied any knowledge of the victim’s Dell laptop. His female roommate was also at the residence during the interview and the officer asked her about the laptop.
Goodwin’s roommate went inside the residence and retrieved a Dell laptop that matched the victim’s description of the missing computer.
The officer asked Goodwin to place his hands behind his back. The OPD report stated that Goodwin reached into his pocket, retrieved a pack of cigarettes and his cellphone, and placed both items on the front porch.
After Goodwin was placed in handcuffs, the officer collected those items from the porch, and a clear bag containing a crystal substance was found inside the cigarette box. The substance later field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
Goodwin was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. He was later released on $11,000 bond, and he is currently facing felony charges for grand theft, dealing in stolen property, and possession of methamphetamine.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.