WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) — A half-naked Winter Haven man is behind bars after police said he broke into a home while holding a carpet cleaner.
At 1:36 a.m. on Thursday morning, Winter Haven police responded to a home on 6th Street SW after the residents woke up to a loud bang at their front door.
Austin Alexander Smith, 23, who had kicked in the door, was found in their living room wearing only a shirt, holding the victim’s carpet cleaner in his hand, according to officials.
The resident reportedly yelled at Smith, who immediately dropped the cleaning item and bolted out of the home.
Officers found Smith walking near Avenue M and 5th Street SW just 10 minutes later and detained him.
The suspect claimed that he didn’t know what he was doing because he was “high on methamphetamine.”
Smith was taken to the Polk County Jail for burglary of an occupied dwelling.