Hurricane Milton: Florida Man Tries Taking Generator from Intersection

It takes a special kind of loser to take advantage of a bad situation like Hurricane Milton. Take today's Florida man, Soyal Zapata-Dye, this winner of life tried to pull off a low-budget heist in the middle of a disaster. Hurricane Milton had already messed up the area, including the traffic lights, so some folks left a generator out to keep things running. Well, Zapata-Dye thought, “Why not?” and allegedly tried to take that generator like it was a freebie on the curb. Spoiler alert genius... It wasn’t.

According to FOX News, some TECO Energy workers saw him trying to swipe it, and instead of just shaking their heads, they took photos and noted his license plate. They handed that info over to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, who used it to track him down. It wasn’t exactly a high-speed chase though, more like a "you ain't slick" moment.

When deputies rolled up to his place, they were greeted with a classic excuse, "I’m fixing dinner." Zapata-Dye wasn't in a hurry to chat, but the deputies weren’t about to take no for an answer. After some back and forth, they finally got him to come to the door and slapped the cuffs on him. He tried to explain that the generator wasn’t locked, and there was no name on it, so he thought it was just sitting there for the taking. Nice try, loser.

With video evidence of the whole encounter, thanks to police body cams, and the generator being exactly where it shouldn’t have been. It was in his possession. Well, Zapata-Dye was arrested and charged with third-degree grand theft. Oh, and since Florida was still in a state of emergency for Hurricane Milton, those charges came with a little extra kick. Zapata-Dye? More like Zapata-Dumb.  

With Tropical Storm Idalia heading our way, it's good to be ready and here are the best items to have on hand to prepare for a hurricane.

There's lots of talk about Tropical Storm Idalia. After last year, here in Fort Myers, we hear a storm starting with an "I" and it brings back thoughts of what we went through 11 months ago with Ian. According to NBC2, here in Southwest Florida, we are under a Tropical Storm Warning. Idalia is expected to become a major hurricane, possibly a Cat 3, in the Gulf by Wednesday with landfall up near the Panhandle. While we won't get the worst of it here, we are expecting wine and rain with 2-4 feet of storm surge expected.

Today is the literal calm before the storm. Tuesday and Wednesday are the days when we'll see the heaviest rain. With that, again the storm surge is possible. Flash flooding could also be a concern. There's also a chance for tornadoes Tuesday night through Wednesday morning.

Hurricane season here in Florida runs June 1-November 30. It's always good to be prepared. While the threats to us here in Southwest Florida aren't severe, it's better to have what you need and not need it than to not have it and wish you did. Right now is also a good time to stock up. There's a tax holiday here in Florida on hurricane supplies, so you can get what you need tax free. Here's a list of the best items to have on hand to prepare for a hurricane.

I was shopping this weekend and saw some people panic buying. There's no need for that. The recommended amount of water to have on hand is one gallon per person per day, for at least three days.

In case power goes out, you'll want things you can eat easily that won't spoil. You'll want a minimum of a three-day supply per person and a manual can opener.

This is so important because if power goes out and you no longer have access to TV or internet, this would be your only option for updates. We learned last year during Ian radio is #1 for hurricane info.

You can put candles on the list as well. Anything that will provide light if power goes out.

Gas was VERY hard to come by last year and many stations had a limited supply, so having gas in the tank, at least enough to get you out of town should you need to evacuate is important. Also, to have gas for a generator.

These can be extremely helpful for storing important documents like photos, social security card, insurance information, etc. A good place to keep cash as well. 

We're all so attached to our phones and tablets, but if power goes out and you can't charge them or don't have internet, you'll need other things to keep yourself occupied. Games, crossword puzzles, toys and drawing pads/crayons can keep you busy.

Make sure to have food, wipes, extra clothing and diapers for kiddos. Make sure you have food, water and pet bags for your four-legged family members too. 

After a hurricane, you can use plastic sheets or tarps to cover any holes or damage to your roof until it can be fixed. Also good to have supplies to hold them down if there are any other heavy winds that come through.