Man arrested for string of burglaries

A 65-year-old Virginia, Minnesota man was arrested Friday after burglarizing multiple vehicles and boats in the Middle Keys overnight.

Walter Tobias Lund was charged with multiple counts of burglary of a conveyance, burglary while armed, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, petit theft, grand theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, firing a weapon in public, and criminal mischief.

The Sheriff’s Office began investigating the burglaries in the area of Mile Marker 68 Friday morning, one in which a .380-caliber Ruger handgun and more than $2,400 in tools were stolen from a pickup truck. Surveillance footage and further investigation led to Lund as the suspect.

Further investigation, including the discovery of spent shell casings, showed Lund fired the stolen handgun after the theft near U.S. 1. There were no reported injuries.

Lund was found on the U.S. 1 bicycle path riding a bicycle reported stolen out of Long Key State Park. He was taken to jail.

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Man arrested for animal cruelty

A 36-year-old Marathon man was arrested Friday after he punched and choked a small dog.

Osiel Rodriguez Rodriguez-Gonzalez was charged with animal cruelty.

The Sheriff’s Office was called to a residence on Sombrero Beach Road at approximately 8:17 p.m. where multiple witnesses reported Rodriguez-Gonzalez was angry and cursing the dog. They stated he punched the dog as well as grabbed it and choked it by the neck. One witness stated the dog ran from Rodriguez-Gonzalez and under a car that was passing by. The driver stopped and picked up the dog, but Rodriguez-Gonzalez yanked the dog by its throat from the driver.

Deputies noted the dog was visibly shaking and appeared to be hiding from Rodriguez-Gonzalez with they arrived. The SPCA was notified to examine the dog, which did not appear to be suffering from any serious injuries.

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