PALM COAST, Fla. (WCJB) – Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 35-year-old individual, Arlecia Darnae Brown, on charges of burglary and theft on Friday. Brown, who reportedly claimed to be working for Josh Weil, a Democrat running for U.S. Congressional District 6 in Florida, was arrested while distributing Weil’s campaign fliers in a Palm Coast neighborhood.
The arrest followed a call about a suspicious person with a bicycle inside the fenced yard of a vacant home in the area. Deputies arrived to find Brown, who matched the description of a suspect connected to a bicycle theft in the same neighborhood the previous night. Authorities reported that Brown was carrying two Florida driver’s licenses belonging to other people at the time of the arrest.
The theft investigation began on March 6 after a victim reported that her child’s bicycle had been stolen from an open garage. After reviewing security footage and receiving a tip from a concerned citizen, deputies were able to recover the stolen bicycle behind a vacant home’s tool shed.
Brown was arrested and charged with burglary of an occupied structure, theft from a dwelling, two counts of unlawful possession of personal identification information, and possession of burglary tools. Deputies booked Brown into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he is being held on a $67,500 bond.
Sheriff Rick Staly commented, “This is a perfect example of a crime of opportunity. I encourage all residents to stay vigilant, lock their doors, and report suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately.”
Brown has an extensive criminal history, with 14 previous misdemeanor charges and 15 felony charges. Brown’s prior felony convictions include robbery with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
State Senator Randy Fine, a Republican candidate for Florida’s 6th Congressional District, responded to the news with a statement shared on social media. Fine is running against Josh Weil in the upcoming special election on April 1, with other candidates including Andrew Parrot (Libertarian), Randall Terry (NPA), and Chuck Sheridan (Independent, write-in).
The 6th Congressional District includes parts of Marion, Putnam, Lake, Flagler, Volusia, and St. Johns counties. As of the latest report, the Weil campaign has not provided comment.
