LEE COUNTY, FL– A 44-year-old man is in custody after deputies say he stole thousands of dollars worth of roofing materials from a construction site in Estero.
Leonel Duarte was arrested Wednesday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) after being tracked down through an Apple AirTag that had been hidden inside one of the stolen items.
According to investigators, Duarte is accused of stealing 40 rolls of Polyglass, a roofing material valued at approximately $4,000, from two construction sites in the Verdana Village community. Due to a recent string of thefts in the area, a roofer from Roof Tile Specialists had discreetly placed an AirTag inside one of the Polyglass rolls.
The signal from the AirTag eventually led detectives and the company’s operations manager to a home on Eastwood Acres Road in the Buckingham area. From the street, deputies were able to see the stolen materials stacked on a lanai.
Duarte was taken into custody at the home. While he was originally suspected of stealing 40 rolls, deputies recovered a total of 51 rolls at the residence. The stolen materials have since been returned.
Duarte remains in the Lee County Jail as the investigation continues.
