Authorities in Florida say a man was arrested after stealing a septic tank from a construction site, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded on Feb. 27 to a reported theft at a construction site in the 21600 block of West Highway 40 in Dunnellon. Investigators reviewed surveillance video that showed a man attempting stealing a septic tank several days earlier.
According to the sheriff’s office, the first attempt happened on Feb. 22. The suspect, identified as Alfio Nocifora, arrived at the site in a 2013 Toyota Corolla. However, his plan failed when a Jeep Cherokee drove into the area, causing him to leave before taking anything.
Authorities say Nocifora returned the next day with a rented U-Haul truck. This time, he successfully loaded the septic tank into the vehicle and also took electrical pipe worth about $2,500.
Investigators said Nocifora tried to avoid identification by covering the U-Haul’s license plate and identification numbers with tape. Despite that effort, a detective was able to identify him and obtain an arrest warrant.
Deputies later located Nocifora in Citrus County, where he was taken into custody.
He now faces several charges, including grand theft, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and intentionally obscuring a license plate during the commission of a crime.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the items taken while stealing a septic tank and the electrical pipe were recovered.