A Florida man managed to turn the theft of approximately $5 worth of rolling papers into an arrest involving a Taser, a fight with deputies, and repeated threats against law enforcement.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a 7-Eleven on Lee Boulevard in Fort Myers early Sunday morning after receiving a report about a masked man stealing merchandise from the store.
The Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 21-year-old Steven Rosario Jr. Deputies didn’t have to look particularly far for him, either, as they say Rosario was located across the street at another gas station.
However, what began as a theft involving only a few dollars quickly became much more serious. Deputies say Rosario resisted when they approached him and attempted to fight with them, eventually resulting in a Taser being deployed.
Deputies Say Rosario Threatened To Kill One of Them
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were able to take Rosario into custody after deploying the Taser. However, even being brought to the ground apparently wasn’t enough to end the confrontation.
While deputies were placing him in handcuffs, Rosario began repeatedly threatening to kill one of them. The Sheriff’s Office highlighted one particularly direct threat from the encounter: “You’re dead when I get up.”
Needless to say, he did not appear to be getting up and walking away anytime soon.
Rosario was then arrested on charges related to theft, resisting an officer, making threats against a law enforcement officer, and possession of marijuana. The Sheriff’s Office says the original merchandise stolen from the 7-Eleven amounted to approximately $5 worth of rolling papers.
A $5 Theft Ends With Four Charges
According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies were originally responding to a report of a masked individual stealing from a convenience store. It was Rosario’s behavior after deputies located him that resulted in several additional accusations.
Rather than cooperating with deputies, authorities say the 21-year-old resisted and attempted to fight them. His threats after being subdued then added another element to an encounter that had already escalated well beyond the original reason police were called.
Rosario now faces charges of theft, resisting an officer, making threats to a law enforcement officer, and marijuana possession.
All of that started over approximately $5 in rolling papers. If there was ever an example of an extremely inexpensive decision becoming considerably more costly, this might be it.