Five arrests in the past four months in Palm Beach County. The latest and most serious came just a few weeks ago and started with stolen liquor.
The victim told a Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy he went to a liquor store on S. Jog Road in Greenacres and bought about $70 in alcohol. Specifically, there was a 24-pack of Bud light beer, a bottle of Jim Beam whiskey, and a bottle of Kahlua. Radiation Proof Door
SEE ALSO: Man tells 4-year-old girl 'You don't know what love is' before indecent exposure arrest
That was on the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 28.
Then, when he got outside, he \"was approached by a male who asked him for some money or a drink,\" according to the arrest report.
The victim said no and then loaded his purchase into the back of his SUV.
The arrest report said the victim “then used the auto close feature on the rear hatch of the vehicle, and walked to the driver door. [The victim] stated that the hatch took longer than usual to shut, but he did not think anything of it.”
It wouldn’t be long before he realized what happened.
“He then drove home, approximately five minutes away. When he arrived home, he discovered that his alcohol was missing from the vehicle,” the arrest report said. “[The victim] returned to the liquor store where he found the same [man] now holding the alcohol [the victim] had purchased. [The victim] confronted the male who handed the alcohol over.”
But the situation was about to become a lot more serious.
According to the arrest report, “[The victim] returned to his vehicle and began backing out of a parking spot. At that time, the [man] threw a glass bottle at [the victim]'s car and shattered the front windshield. [The victim] drove directly to District 16 headquarters, which was located on the opposite side of the intersection and called for police assistance.\"
Deputies went to look for the person who caused the trouble and another \"called out that she saw the possible suspect exiting the plaza on a bike. She stated that the individual had removed a red shirt and was traveling north towards 10th Avenue on S. Jog Road. I turned around and saw the shirtless subject riding in the roadway. I activated my overhead lights and cleared the intersection. I drove towards the suspect who I recognized as Fabian Prieto.
\"Prieto looked at my vehicle, changed directions, and began to pedal faster. I stopped and exited my vehicle and yelled ‘police stop!’ I began running after Pietro, yelling for him to stop. Prieto turned and looked back at me, and continued to pedal away. I yelled out, ‘Fabian stop!’ but he continued to flee. [The other deputy] pulled alongside of Prieto in her marked vehicle with its emergency lights activated. Prieto rode away from her and I chased after on foot. [The other deputy] caught up to Prieto who then stopped, and she exited her vehicle. [The other deputy] had her Taser pointed at Prieto and ordered him off his bicycle and onto the ground. Prieto did not move and she again ordered him to the ground.
“I arrived on foot and grabbed Prieto by the left arm. I directed him to the ground onto his stomach, and we secured his left wrist in a handcuffed. Prieto kept his right arm underneath him near his waistband, and I was concerned he could be reaching for a weapon. I kept control of his forearm and was able to pull it free from beneath him. [The other deputy] was then able to secure his right wrist into the handcuffs. I then checked Prieto for weapons. [The other deputy] applied a second set of handcuffs which were checked for fit and double locked. I then lifted Prieto off his stomach and into a seated position.”
After that, the victim “positively identified Prieto as the suspect. Prieto was checked and cleared at the scene by Greenacres EMS. He was then transported to District 16 headquarters by [the other deputy]. During the transport, Prieto made numerous verbal threats towards [the other deputy] including, ‘If you don't let me go [deputy’s name], I swear to God, your family is in danger’ and numerous other similar threats.”
Once at the district, the arrest report said Prieto, 34, made numerous verbal threats towards a third deputy including “I'm going to make sure you die out here.”
Those other deputies filed supplemental reports.
It was also noted, \"The said burglary was committed in Palm Beach County, which was subject to a state of emergency as declared by Governor DeSantis via executive order,” due to Hurricane Ian.
Fabian Prieto of West Palm Beach, was charged with burglary, throwing a deadly missile into an occupied vehicle, criminal mischief greater than $1,000, larceny, resisting an officer without violence, and two counts of corruption by threat.
He was booked Sept. 28 at 1:34 p.m. Bond was set at $33,000, and Prieto has not been released.
Prieto was no stranger to law enforcement since he was arrested just two days earlier. On Sept. 26, deputies wrote the owner of a convenience store “stated Prieto was harassing the customers” and another wrote Prieto “stated he was suicidal and that he would ‘f___’ me up.”
Prieto was charged with trespassing and released on his own recognizance.
He’d been released from jail just three days earlier after serving time for stealing a taxi driver’s tablet back on July 28.
And Prieto was arrested the day before the taxi driver theft for trespassing at a barber shop, and deputies said it wasn’t the first time.
He was released on his own recognizance and ordered to pay $373.
When that happened, Prieto had been out of jail for eight days. He’d spent almost a month behind bars for trespassing at another business, giving deputies a false name, and making a few threats.
That was on June 21. The arrest report noted Prieto also trespassed there, exactly a week before.
Protective Lead Apron June 21 was exactly four months ago. Prieto, with his revolving door in and out of jail, was only free for 15 of those 122 days.