Brandon, Florida – A drone helped deputies locate a theft suspect hiding in a sewer after a retail incident on July 4, 2025.

Shortly after 5:20 p.m., deputies responded to a reported theft at Brandon Town Center Mall. Mall security believed the suspect had run into a wooded area nearby.

An agency-issued drone was deployed to search the area. The operator provided live video feed to patrol units on the ground.

The drone eventually captured footage of the suspect emerging from a sewer grate, appearing to believe deputies were no longer present.

Guided by the drone, deputies arrested 55-year-old Ricardo Claudio Diaz at the scene.

Diaz now faces charges of wearing a hood or mask on another’s property, felony petit theft, and resisting an officer without violence.

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