Two men from Belleview were arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after they attempted to get rid of a stolen vehicle.
On Tuesday, an MCSO corporal responded to the 11300 block of SE 40th Avenue in Belleview in reference to a stolen vehicle. A male reportee had contacted the sheriff’s office to advise that a stolen vehicle was located on his property.
The corporal made contact with the reportee who was standing next to a white Chrysler van, and the reportee advised that the van had been stolen. When asked how he knew it was stolen, the reportee pointed towards a male suspect who was also at the scene. The MCSO report identified the suspect as Thomas Sparkman.
A computer search of the van confirmed that it had been reported stolen out of the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, according to the MCSO report.
The corporal made contact with Sparkman who spontaneously uttered that he stole the vehicle. In a later conversation, Sparkman told the corporal that he had been working for the victim in Sebring when the two of them got into an argument, according to the MCSO report.
Sparkman stated that the victim kicked him out of the residence, and he proceeded to take the victim’s vehicle and drove it to Belleview. After being read his Miranda rights, Sparkman admitted that he did not have permission to take the vehicle, and he advised that he had no plans on returning it to the victim.
A day after stealing the vehicle, Sparkman stated that he drove it to the incident location in Belleview, and he was working with a man named Julio Cesar Valdes to “get rid” of the stolen vehicle.
The corporal made contact with Julio Cesar Valdes. He did not provide any photo identification, and he verbally provided a different middle name and date of birth, according to the MCSO report.
After being read his Miranda rights, Valdes initially denied any knowledge that the vehicle was stolen. He later admitted that he was told by Sparkman that the vehicle was stolen, and he admitted to making arrangements for the vehicle to be sold.
Sparkman was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $2,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for grand theft of a motor vehicle. A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, according to jail records.
Valdes was also arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. After his fingerprints were taken at the jail, MCSO was able to confirm his identity, and it was discovered that he has several out-of-county warrants.
Valdes is currently being held at the jail on $5,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for dealing in stolen property and a misdemeanor charge for providing false identification to a law enforcement officer. A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, according to jail records.