Polk City, FL – A St. Augustine resident has been arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail after allegedly stealing a Red Bull-branded cooler from a gas station convenience store.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit, deputies responded on January 9, 2026, to a reported theft at the Polk City Travel Center, a Shell gas station at 1821 Highway 559 in Polk City, Florida. The store manager discovered that a Red Bull cooler, originally positioned near the rear entrance, was missing.
Surveillance video from January 7, 2026, reviewed by the store manager captured the incident. A white male wearing a gray polo shirt, khaki pants, and black shoes arrived at approximately 6:48 p.m. in a silver SUV. He entered through the front, went directly to the restroom near the rear, then approached the Red Bull cooler. He leaned on it while appearing to stretch, pulled it from its corner closer to the walkway, selected an alcoholic beverage, paid for it with a credit card at the front counter, and left the store.
He then drove his vehicle to the rear pumps, re-entered the store, leaned against a wall near the cooler while on his phone and facing the counter, took possession of the cooler, rolled it out the back door, placed it in the trunk of his SUV, and drove away.
Interior footage showed the suspect wearing a company shirt with a visible blue-and-white logo identified as belonging to Stone Mart, a central Florida company with multiple locations. Human Resources at Stone Mart confirmed the individual in a forwarded screenshot was employee Joseph Henry Arena, with a registered address in St. Augustine, Florida.
A records check revealed Arena’s prior criminal history, including a theft conviction in June 2017 in Kane County Circuit Court, Illinois.
Investigators concluded that Arena repositioned the cooler near the rear door during his initial visit with the intent to steal it, left after making a purchase, then returned to remove the cooler and load it into his vehicle—all captured on video.
During his social media daily briefing, Sheriff Grady Judd stated that deputies contacted Arena, who agreed to return to the Polk City Travel Center the following day. Upon arrival, the Red Bull cooler was returned, and Arena was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Polk County Jail in Bartow. The charge is petit theft. Nothing further at this time.
SOURCE: POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE & ARREST AFFIDAVIT
