Man on roof is charged with possession of marijuana

Posted 4/9/21

After they convinced him to come down off the roof, he was charged.

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Man on roof is charged with possession of marijuana

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OKEECHOBEE — A local man was arrested Wednesday, April 7 after reportedly taking a baseball bat to his ex-girlfriend’s car. Francisco Delato, 21, was charged with possession of marijuana over 20 grams, tampering with evidence and resisting arrest without violence.

At approximately 10 p.m., Okeechobee County sheriff’s Deputy Richard Varnadore was dispatched to a home on Northwest Seventh Street in response to a trespassing complaint. When he arrived, the complainant told him Delato came to her house and tried to start a fight. She said he was verbally abusive to her and then took a baseball bat to a vehicle in her yard. When she told him she was calling the cops, he fled on foot.

According to Varnadore’s report, the vehicle did not appear to have any damage. The woman left the house to go stay with family, because she said she was afraid he would come back.

As Varnadore scouted the neighborhood looking for Delato, a neighbor called in and said he had returned to the house and was trying to get in. Varnadore, along with Deputy Michael Cauley returned to the home searching for Delato. As they searched, Cauley whistled to get Varnadore’s attention and then motioned toward the roof, where Delato could be seen lying flat, as if he were trying to blend in.

Varnadore yelled for him to come down and said he was under arrest for active warrants, but he reportedly ran to the other side of the roof. As he ran, the report notes, he was taking things out of his pockets and throwing them on the roof. When he finally came down, he started to run away but was taken down by Cauley. As the deputies attempted to restrain him, he reportedly fought them, but they prevailed.

On the roof, deputies found a bag containing leafy marijuana, weighing 30 grams. A second baggie contained two unopened liquid THC cartridges and a vape pen with a third cartridge inside.

Varnadore notes Delato applied for a medical marijuana card but was denied.

His bond was set at $11,000.

marijuana, arrest

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