PANAMA CITY — Police arrested a man for prowling Monday after three theft victims declined to press more serious charges.
Dillon James Sullivan, 21, was arrested Monday at about 10 p.m. after officers arrived in the 100 block of South Palo Alto Avenue to investigate a burglary. The victim told officers he heard someone on his porch, and when he went out to investigate, he saw two males riding away on bicycles, one of which was his. He gave the officers a description of the suspects and one of them was located leaving from behind a business in the 400 block of South Palo Alto Avenue.
The second suspect got away, police said, but Sullivan was allegedly spotted carrying two toolboxes and began fleeing the area on foot at the sight of officers. Sullivan was arrested and taken into custody. In the toolboxes Sullivan dropped during the foot chase, officers reported they found four cellphones, a wallet, a Bible, a house key, a phone charger and two power tools. The victim’s bicycle was located in the 100 block of North Palo Alto Avenue. The bicycle was returned to the victim, who declined to pursue charges in the matter.
Officers were able to contact the owner of the wallet and power tools, but that victim, too, declined to press charges.
Then the owner of one of the cellphones was contacted and, again, the victim declined to pursue charges in the matter.
The occurrence isn’t an uncommon one, said PCPD spokesman Officer Richard Thore. Though police take a considerable amount of grief for not finding some people’s stolen property, oftentimes when police catch a suspect with the property and want to pursue charges on the part of the owner, the owner declines.
“I assume they’re just happy to have their stuff back,” Thore said.
The owners of the remaining property have not been identified. Sullivan was transported to the Bay County Jail and charged with loitering and prowling, resisting an officer without violence and violation of probation.
Police urge anyone who may have information regarding this case, or who thinks any of the property recovered may be theirs, to call the Panama City Police Department at 850-872-3100, or to report their tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers at 850-785-TIPS (8477).