A 22-year-old man was arrested after he was accused of stealing a pickup truck and several concrete saws from a City of Ocala worker.
On Tuesday, June 28, an Ocala Police Department officer responded to the 200 block of SW 3rd Avenue in reference to a stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, the officer made contact with the owner of the vehicle who is employed by the City of Ocala.
The OPD report indicated that the vehicle was a 2020 Ford pickup truck belonging to the City of Ocala, and it was towing a trailer.
The male worker told the officer that he was working on a busted pipe in the parking lot of a business in the 1100 block of W Silver Springs Boulevard. He stated that he parked the truck next to the business, facing SW 11th Avenue, and the doors were left unlocked while the key remained in the ignition.
The worker advised that he walked approximately 50 feet from the truck to place road signs in the parking lot. When he began walking back towards the truck, he heard the engine start, and he watched it drive away from the business on SW 11th Avenue.
The worker’s supervisor was able to track the vehicle via GPS and it was located near the 200 block of SW 3rd Avenue. The worker searched the truck and noticed that two Stihl concrete saws from the bed of the truck were missing.
Another OPD officer who was on scene responded to the Value Pawn located at 315 S Pine Avenue, which was approximately 75 yards away from where the stolen truck was recovered. The officer located a suspicious man who was sitting on the sidewalk in front of the pawn shop with two large concrete saws that were behind him.
The man was identified as Vincent Anthony Fenty.
The worker positively identified the two saws as belonging to the City of Ocala. The officer was able to view the pawn shop’s surveillance footage which showed the stolen truck pulling into the parking lot. Fenty was observed exiting the truck, and he placed the saws in the gravel next to the pawn shop’s door.
The stolen truck was equipped with a dash camera, and the officer viewed the footage which showed Fenty walking along SW 11th Avenue towards the truck. According to the MCSO report, Fenty briefly walked off-screen, and then the truck began traveling southbound on SW 11th Avenue at a high rate of speed.
When the truck arrived near the pawn shop, the officer observed Fenty on the footage as he walked in front of the truck while carrying the two saws. A fleet employee with the City of Ocala estimated that the total value of both saws was approximately $2,460.
Fenty refused to discuss the incident with investigators, and he was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $6,500 bond. He is facing felony charges for grand theft of a motor vehicle, grand theft (over $750 but less than $5,000), and unarmed burglary of an unoccupied conveyance.
A court date has been scheduled on Tuesday, August 2 at 9 a.m., according to jail records.