DESOTO COUNTY, Fla. — A DeSoto County man is facing multiple charges after allegedly stealing an excavator, trailer, and a pickup truck, then attempting to flee from deputies.
Nicholas Howard, 30, was pulled over on Southeast Jeans Road after deputies received a tip from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office about a stolen black Ford F-250 towing a stolen excavator.
At the time of the traffic stop, the truck did not appear in the system as stolen, so Howard was temporarily released and walked to a nearby home. A delayed system update later confirmed the vehicle was indeed stolen.
When deputies returned and attempted to contact him, they reportedly heard a gunshot and saw a muzzle flash. Howard then surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody without further incident.
A follow-up investigation led deputies to recover the stolen truck, trailer, and excavator nearby. A rifle without a serial number was also seized, and Howard admitted to firing it into a pond.
He now faces multiple charges, including:
Dealing in stolen property
Second-degree grand theft
Two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle
The DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate.
