Craigslist Trap Snares Accused Thieves

SARASOTA, FL — Two South Florida men face grand theft charges after Sarasota County deputies say a victim laid a trap on Craigslist to catch them red handed with the stolen goods. The items in question belong to Apex Tree and Landscape in Sarasota and happen to have a value of about $53,000, authorities said.

According to the agency, the Fruitville Road tree service was struck by thieves between May 6 and May 9. The thieves are accused of swiping an open body trailer and two stump grinders before taking off with ill-gotten gains worth thousands of dollars.

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Apex’s owner Kary Zaren reported the crime to the sheriff’s office but decided to see if he could use the power of the internet to lure the thieves out of hiding. Zaren took to Craigslist and created a “wanted” ad seeking the very items that had been stolen from him, according to a Sarasota County arrest report.

Evidently, Zaren’s plan worked. It wasn’t too long before deputies say Zaren was contacted by people willing to “sell” him the items he was after. Arrangements were made between Zaren and the “sellers” to meet at a location along Alligator Alley in South Florida. The Miccosukee Police Department was notified by Zaren of the meeting time and location, the arrest report noted.

Following that pre-arranged meeting, Miccosukee Police brought two men into custody: Adrian Martinez, 34, of Immokalee, and Alfred J. Everett Jr., 32, of Naples.

Everett, the arrest report said, told investigators he was “paid $80 to drive a borrowed Tahoe to Sarasota with Martinez to pick up a machine.” Martinez, the report added, refused to provide a statement.

While Everett allegedly admitted at first to being in Sarasota, the report said he changed his mind and later claimed to have never been in the city. The owner of the “borrowed” truck, however, confirmed she loaned it to Everett and Martinez on May 7 with the promise it would be returned on May 8, the report said. Surveillance video confirmed the truck was used to pull the stolen property, the report noted.

Martinez and Everett were both booked into the Broward County Jail following their arrest. They remained in custody on Wednesday, Sarasota official said.

Further information in the case is not yet available. It is unclear if the stolen items were recovered along with the arrest of the two men.

Zaren was not immediately available for comment.

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Booking photos of Martinez and Everett courtesy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office