A Davenport man landed back in jail after a Sunday evening “fishing trip” ended with deputies finding him surrounded by cut fences and piles of stolen copper wire.
Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) arrested 41-year-old Jack Edward Tolhurst on December 7 after responding to a trespassing call at a Lake Wales sand mine around 7:30 p.m.
When investigators arrived, they found Tolhurst and his Toyota 4Runner on the property. Deputies noted that the vehicle had been driven through a freshly cut fence to enter the site. When detectives questioned him about why he was at an active mine, Tolhurst claimed he was simply there to fish.
Deputies did find fishing poles inside the SUV, but they also uncovered items that had nothing to do with fishing. The report states that detectives found copper wire inside the vehicle and additional wire scattered on the ground behind it. Sitting next to the wire were bolt cutters, wire cutters, and several power tools.
Investigators determined the copper wire had been stripped from a property under the jurisdiction of the Lake Wales Police Department. An officer from that department responded to the scene to launch a parallel investigation.
Tolhurst now faces multiple charges from both agencies. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office charged him with Trespassing and Violation of Probation connected to a previous Petit Theft case. The Lake Wales Police Department added charges of Burglary, Grand Theft, and Possession of Burglary Tools.
Authorities transported Tolhurst to the Sheriff’s Processing Center after his arrest.