Florida man busted for stealing lawn mower from woman's house and riding away, deputies say

MARION COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida man was arrested for allegedly stealing a lawn mower from a woman's yard, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. 

Gary Bebee was arrested Monday and charged with second-degree petit theft, his seventh theft offense in 15 years, deputies said. 

Deputies responded to a home in the 7700 block of NE 132nd Place after a woman called reporting the theft of her lawn mower from her yard, according to an affidavit. The woman said while she wasn't home at the time of the theft, she saw the whole thing unfold on her home's surveillance cameras. 

When deputies arrived to the house in Citra, they saw a man who matched the woman's description of him on the lawn mower, riding away from the house. 

The lawn mower was a red Craftsman T2000 model valued at about $500. 

When deputies caught up to Bebee, he said he was picking up the machine from his sister's house. The homeowner told deputies, however, she recently purchased the property from a woman, adding that everything on the property, including the lawn mower, was now hers. 

Bebee's alleged sister confirmed this, saying the lawn mower belonged to the new owner and Bebee didn't have permission to go and take it, deputies said. 

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The 30-year-old man agreed to speak to deputies after his Miranda Rights were read to him, telling them he didn't know his sister had sold her property, the affidavit states. He also reportedly admitted to going onto the property, taking the lawn mower and driving it down the road. 

Bebee was booked into the Marion County Jail on $2,000 bond.