Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested a Plant City man today in connection with a robbery of an Ace Hardware store.
According to Sheriff’s Office reports, at about 9:10 a.m. today, Glenn Maxwell, 30, of Plant City, went into the Ace Hardware store, located at 865 Bloomingdale Ave. E., and stole miscellaneous items. When confronted by the store manager, the suspect gave the manager his identification and then fled the store on foot. Deputies responded to the Ace Hardware and were unable to locate the suspect.
About one hour later, at 10:20 a.m., a work crew was re-surfacing the tennis court at Brookside Manor apartments, located at the corner of Rosemead Lane and Bell Shoals Road. As the crew was working, they heard one of their work trucks, a 2001 Dodge pickup) start up and observed a subject trying to drive off in the work truck. Maxwell damaged the fence of the tennis court and a picnic table, causing approximately $3,000 in damage, as he tried to flee the area.
Deputies responded and came in contact with the subject in the truck in the area of FishHawk Boulevard and Osprey Ridge Drive. Deputies pursued the vehicle to the area of Edison Road and Keysville Drive, where Maxwell crashed into an orange grove.
Maxwell was apprehended by deputies, and there were no injuries. He is charged with grand theft auto; burglary of a vehicle; felony criminal mischief; and fleeing and eluding.