A donation box was stolen from PAWS on February 3.
Police identified the suspect using surveillance footage and public tips.
A Fort Walton Beach man was arrested and charged with petit theft.
FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. — Fort Walton Beach Police arrested a local man Tuesday after a donation box containing cash was reported stolen from the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).
According to police, officers responded to the theft report at approximately 10:19 a.m. on February 3 at the PAWS facility located at 752 Lovejoy Road NW. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage provided by the organization and received multiple tips from the public that helped quickly identify the suspect.
Officers located 44-year-old Tony Salazar of Fort Walton Beach and took him into custody. Police say Salazar admitted to the theft, describing it as a “crime of opportunity.”
Salazar was charged with petit theft under Florida Statute 812.014(1)(a).
The Fort Walton Beach Police Department credited both PAWS staff and community members for their assistance in resolving the case.
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