A homeless man in Leesburg who allegedly stole a bicycle from a Walmart customer received additional charges for narcotics on his person.
Officers responded to Walmart, located at 2501 Citrus Blvd., Leesburg, at 6:30 p.m. Monday regarding a bicycle stolen by 49-year-old Eduardo Diaz-Velez, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department.
The owner advised that he parked his $600 yellow bicycle inside the entrance doors to go shopping. When he returned about 30 minutes later, it was gone. Surveillance footage determined Diaz-Velez left the store with the bicycle, riding it toward Dixie Avenue, the report said.
Officers were on patrol the next night when they spotted Diaz-Velez behind 3335 U.S. Hwy. 27/441 in Fruitland Park. He was then arrested and agreed to speak with law enforcement. However, he denied knowing anything about a stolen bicycle, the report said.
A subsequent search of his person yielded two cut straws; three needles, one of which contained methamphetamine; and a piece of tinfoil with burnt fentanyl, the report said.
Diaz-Velez was ultimately charged with petit theft, as well as possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. He was booked at Lake County Jail with bond set at $6,500.
The native of Puerto Rico was also arrested in April after running into the woods to avoid charges for drug paraphernalia. Prior charges include sexual battery in June 2025 and theft at Wawa in Feb. 2025.