A man is facing multiple charges after deputies say he stole a vehicle, stole a vape from a gas station and then tried to avoid arrest Saturday morning.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), 26-year-old Zachary Brooks went to an occupied home on Alafia Hills Drive around 8 a.m. Saturday and stole a set of keys and a vehicle.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — On October 10, 2026, at 8 a.m., Zachary Brooks, 26, went to an occupied residence on Alafia Hills Drive and stole keys and a vehicle. Brooks then went to a gas station on Paul Buchman Highway and reached through the sales window and stole a vape before fleeing. Patrol units spotted the stolen vehicle at Jerry Smith Road and Trapnell Road. With the assistance of #teamHCSO’s Aviation Unit, units maintained visual as the stolen vehicle came to a stop at East Trapnell Road. Brooks fled on foot and was arrested on the back pool deck of a residence. Brooks faces multiple charges, including Grand Theft Motor Vehicle and Petit Theft (Second Conviction).
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) October 11, 2026
HCSO said Brooks then drove to a gas station on Paul Buchman Highway, where he reached through the sales window and stole a vape before leaving the area.
Deputies later located the stolen vehicle near Jerry Smith Road and Trapnell Road.
With help from the sheriff's office aviation unit, deputies maintained visual contact with the vehicle until it stopped on East Trapnell Road, according to HCSO.
Authorities said Brooks got out and ran from the vehicle.
Deputies eventually located and arrested him on the rear pool deck of a nearby residence.
Brooks faces multiple charges, including grand theft motor vehicle and petit theft (second conviction), according to the sheriff's office.
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