Bystanders tackled a shirtless man exhibiting bizarre behavior behind PepperTree Plaza in Wildwood.
Kelvin Berrios, 37, of Wildwood, was involved in a car crash at about 5 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of U.S. 301 and Pepper Tree Lane, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. There were three vehicles involved in the crash “with substantial damage.”
Police had begun to pursue Berrios, who fled the scene of the crash, but lost sight of him. A bystander called out to police to inform them that Berrios had been tackled and was being detained. Several citizens were holding down Berrios when police arrived and took him into custody.
While fleeing, he briefly broke into a home. A house sitter, watching the home and the dogs of owners who were in Hawaii, said she found the front door wide open. Police determined that Berrios had jumped a fence and entered through a rear door which had been left open for the dogs. He fled through the front door.
Berrios began making outlandish statements including the claim that his “boss had killed his entire family,” the report said. Berrios said he’d deliberately crashed into another vehicle on the Florida Turnpike and fled the scene.
He was arrested on charges including hit and run and burglary. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $106,000 bond.