A Fruitland Park man was arrested after allegedly burglarizing two homes and crashing a vehicle while trying to flee from the police.
Lake County deputies and Fruitland Park officers responded to a glass-breaking alarm at a home on Park Holland Road in Fruitland Park around 12:45 a.m. Thursday, July 16, according to arrest reports from both agencies. The homeowners locked themselves inside their bedroom and could hear voices, one of which was later identified as 41-year-old Adam Christopher Oliveras.
As units traveled eastbound on Park Holland Road, a red Chevrolet Traverse was headed in the opposite direction away from the residence. An officer turned around to stop the vehicle, which began to flee at well over 90 mph. It traveled southbound on U.S. Hwy. 441, recklessly cutting through a business parking lot in the process, the report said.
The vehicle continued onto Perkins Street at high speeds with a wanton disregard for public safety. It ran several stop signs until failing to negotiate a curve near Empire Street. As a result, the vehicle struck a small concrete wall, overturned and landed back on its tires, the report said.
Oliveras proceeded to exit the vehicle and ran southwest. The officer pursued him, firing six taser probes that made him fall to the ground. He was taken into custody as other members of law enforcement spoke with the victims of the burglarized home, the report said.
The female homeowner advised that she and her husband were sleeping when she was awoken by the sound of glass breaking and pounding on the front door. The security alarm was triggered, and her husband went to check. He saw broken glass in their foyer, the report said.
The officers observed that the small glass windows on either side of the door were broken. Glass lay inside the home and outside on the porch. The homeowners confirmed Oliveras did not come inside the home, and nothing else was broken. Security footage confirmed he was on their front porch before the alarm call, the report said.
Further investigation determined that the neighboring residence had also been burglarized and ransacked. Multiple windows had broken glass with the screens lying in the yard, which appeared to have been done as a way to get inside. Nearly every room appeared to have been gone through, the report said.
Almost every dresser, closet and storage compartment had been opened with items removed and thrown on the floor. The garage had multiple storage compartments opened, such as the deep freezer, the report said.
Officers canvassing the property discovered that a detached shed had been broken into, as well, with multiple items strewn about and a red 2010 Chevrolet Silverado burglarized. The truck’s door, glove compartment, center console, gas cap and bed-mounted toolbox were all open. Items had been thrown about the vehicle, the report said.
Additionally, a prescription receipt from the homeowner was found at the crash site. The vehicle contained numerous paintings, sewing patterns and other household items. The report noted there was a room with sewing machines, rolls of thread and other sewing-related items in the home.
A check of Oliveras’s criminal history revealed he was arrested on June 2 for aggravated assault without intent to kill, resisting without violence, burglary, felony larceny, tampering with utility fixtures, two counts of misdemeanor larceny, felony aggravated assault and theft of utility services. He also had a criminal history in Kentucky involving multiple DUIs and drug-related charges, along with charges in California for a hit-and-run, DUI and misdemeanor vandalism, the report said.
Oliveras was arrested on charges of burglary to unoccupied dwelling, burglary to unoccupied structure, burglary to unoccupied conveyance, burglary to occupied dwelling, resisting officer without violence, leave scene of crash involving property damage and flee/elude with wanton disregard. The California native was booked at the Lake County Jail without bond.
He was also arrested in June for shutting off his neighborhood’s water pump, affecting 84 homes.