Jacksonville Man Broke Into North Port Home: Police

NORTH PORT, FL — A Jacksonville man faces three felony charges after breaking into a North Port home in an area recently flooded by Hurricane Ian, North Port police shared on Facebook.

Leotis Lester, 30, was charged with burglary, possession of burglary tools and grand theft, police said in a social media post.

Over the weekend, he broke into a home off Lady Slipper Avenue. The homeowner noticed someone in their house, got out and called the North Port Police Department, the agency said.

Within minutes, officers responded and detained the thief, who had filled multiple trash bags with items worth thousands of dollars.

Lester initially gave them a fake name, but officers ultimately learned his real identity. He currently has a number of outstanding warrants from outside the North Port area, NPPD said.

“Great job to the homeowner and officers for doing everything right. Mr. Lester, not so much,” police wrote on Facebook. “Please do not victimize our residents, who are already working to recover from Hurricane Ian. We are ready to act.”