ROCKLEDGE, Fla. – A Brevard County man was arrested Monday after he allegedly tipped off police about his own theft.
Investigators said Joshua Wall, 21, tried to break into a vacuum machine with a crowbar and screwdriver at the Water Whirled Car Wash on Murrell Road in Rockledge.
Recommended Videos
"What I can't figure out is how much did he actually think he was going to get?" said Jason Velie, who operates the car wash. "I mean, did he think he was going to get $20 in quarters?"
The burglary happened around 5:45 a.m. Monday and was caught by the car wash's surveillance cameras.
The video shows Wall walking across the car wash parking lot before apparently tampering with one of the machines. He then is seen walking away, but minutes later he comes back with Rockledge police officers.
Investigators said the Cocoa man got spooked when he saw an officer at the nearby 7-Eleven getting coffee, so he approached him and made up a phony story about how he saw someone trying to break into the machines.
"Once we finally got the footage it was rather comical because he didn't know what to do," said Velie.
Police say a K-9 was called out, did a full circle around the car wash parking lot, and ultimately came right back to Wall.
He admitted to being the one responsible when interviewed by investigators, according to arrest documents.
Velie says that the machines only take tokens, so there wouldn't have been any money in there if he was able to successfully get in.
Officials estimate that there's roughly $1,200 in damage to the car wash's machinery.
Wall is facing charges of criminal mischief, theft and filing a false police report.