September 14 – Florida Man Commits Arson to Stop Girlfriend From Moving

A Florida man became infuriated at his girlfriend’s upcoming move and burned down her house.

Police say that Jose Bernardo Rosas Madrigal became enraged when his girlfriend’s family decided to move from Auburndale back to Polk City. In response, he decided to use gasoline to set the house on fire. Deputies report that the arson occurred on 9102 Golden Gate Boulevard.

The Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations questioned Madrigal after seeing him on neighborhood surveillance near the event. But in response, Madrigal claimed that he saw “a random black guy” do it. When investigators told Madrigal that surveillance footage contradicted his claims, he then stated that his brother did it.

Further investigation showed that Madrigal had cans of lighter fluid in his car and social media messages threatening to set the house on fire. In addition, Madrigal had also searched Google for instructions on how to burn a brick house.

First responders were able to evacuate the girlfriend and her parents from the home. The police department reported no injuries.

“Had he been better at what he was doing and chosen a time when they were all in bed asleep, this could have been really bad,” Sheriff Grady Judd said.

Police arrested and charged Madrigal with three counts of first-degree attempted murder. He remained in jail after failing to make bail.

“No one is trying to bond him out. He may try to burn their house down as well,” Judd said.

See Also:

• Florida Man Files – September 13
• Florida Man Stories – September 12
• Florida Man Chronicle – September 11

September 14 – Florida Men Carry Away Utility Pole on Their SUV

Two Florida men attempted to steal a city utility pole in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

Police officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to reports that two men had strapped a public utility pole to the top of a Kia Sorento. A witness told police of “two white males, no shirts and several tattoos” taking the pole from a street near Intracoastal Waterway and putting it on their car.

Once police located the Kia on Wonderwood Drive, officers stopped the vehicle and arrested Blake Lee Waller and Victor Walter Apeler for grand theft. The police asked the men why they took the pole, and one of the men said that they had to move it because it was knocked over in the middle of the road.

“When asked why he did not just roll it further into the shoulder, he did not have an answer,” the police said.

September 14 – Florida Man Tries to Jump Canal in His Car

A Florida man missed the mark when trying to jump a canal in his car.

Witnesses say that a man driving a blue Toyota Corolla drove to the brink of a canal in Lehigh Acres, Florida. He then got out of the car, measured the distance, and then got back into his vehicle and tried to jump the canal.

The attempt was unsuccessful. Although rescuers pulled the man from the canal unharmed, he totaled the car and a towing company had to remove it from the canal.

A neighbor said observers think the man might have been “misbehaving, or under the influence of alcohol or drug-related.”

Most people use the Fifth Street pass two blocks away to cross the canal. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the event.

September 14 – Florida Man Takes a Bullet to the Penis

A Florida man has more than more problem after a shot to the genitals.

Police report that Cedrick Jelks sat on a gun that he had forgotten he left in the front seat of his car. The gun went off and the bullet blasted into his genitals.

The responding officer said that Jelks drove to his girlfriend’s house and went to the bathroom. After noticing the blood, his girlfriend took Jelks to the hospital.

Since Jelks has a previous drug confession, he was not legally allowed to own a gun in Florida. The police say he may face charges for illegal gun possession after he recovers.