BRANDON, Fla. (WFLA)— A drone caught a theft suspect hiding in a sewer near the Brandon Town Center Mall, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office or HCSO said.
“You can try to hide, but when #teamHCSO is in the air and on the ground, there’s nowhere to run,” HCSO said in a post on Facebook.
Deputies responded to a retail theft at the Brandon Town Center Mall on July 4, around 5:20 p.m.
Mall security told HCSO they believed the suspect ran into a wooded area.
According to HCSO, deputies used an agency-issued drone, scanned the area, and provided live video to patrol units.
The drone located the suspect coming out of the sewer after he thought deputies were no longer nearby.
Deputies were shown where Ricardo Claudio Diaz, 55, was hiding, and he was arrested.
Diaz now faces wearing a hood or mask on the property of another, felony petit theft, and resisting an officer without violence charges.
“This is a strong example of how advanced technology and seamless teamwork help keep our community safe,” HCSO said in a post on Facebook.