A 54-year-old Gainesville man distracted guard dogs with food before breaking into a fenced Holly Hill tow yard to retrieve his van, then rammed through the gates, police said.
The suspect didn't get far.
William Sherman Evans III broke down on U.S. 92 and got caught when an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission stopped to check on him, an arrest report shows.
According to the Holly Hill police report, Evans' 1994 Dodge Ram van was towed by Arrow Wrecker and stored in the tow yard at 600 Carswell Ave. in Holly Hill.
Shortly after the breakout at 9 a.m. Sunday, Evans and the missing van were seen on the shoulder of U.S. 92 Monday. An FWC officer stopped to conduct a well-being check. It was then discovered that the van was reported stolen from Holly Hill.
"He was the rightful owner. He just went about the wrong way getting it back," said Holly Hill police Capt. Steve Aldrich.
At the Holly Hill police station, Evans admitted jumping the fence to get into the compound and said he distracted the dogs in the yard by feeding them chicken.
Evans caused more than $1,000 in damage when he rammed through the gate. His tow bill was $419.30, police said. He was charged with unarmed burglary of an occupied structure, criminal mischief and damage to property of $1,000 or more and grand theft. He was being held today at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $4,500 bail.
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