Monday

12 October 2026

Winter Haven Man Arrested Following Vehicle Chase in Plant City

Hillsborough County sheriff’s office

PLANT CITY, FL — Zachary Brooks, 26, of Winter Haven, was arrested Saturday, October 10, after allegedly stealing a vehicle and leading Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies on a pursuit in Plant City.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Brooks entered an occupied residence on Alafia Hills Drive around 8 a.m., where he stole vehicle keys and a vehicle.

The Sheriff’s Office said Brooks then traveled to a gas station on Paul Buchman Highway, where he reached through a sales window and stole a vape before fleeing.

Deputies later spotted the stolen vehicle near Jerry Smith Road and Trapnell Road. With assistance from the agency’s Aviation Unit, deputies maintained visual contact until the vehicle stopped on East Trapnell Road.

Brooks fled on foot but was apprehended on the pool deck behind a nearby residence.

Brooks faces multiple charges, including grand theft of a motor vehicle and petit theft (second conviction). Nothing further at this time.

SOURCE: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

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