West Palm Beach City Hall was the scene of an unusual break-in discovered on July 22, when a city employee stumbled upon men's clothing and a plastic bag filled with white powder, later identified as cocaine. According to a report by CBS12, the West Palm Beach Police Department (WPBPD) wasted no time to meticulously investigate and swiftly identify 34-year-old Jake Foster Machado as the suspect behind the burglary.
Surveillance footage revealed that Machado had gained access to the premises on July 20 around 5 a.m., opting to remove his clothing shortly after. Authorities said he spent about 30 minutes inside, during which he rolled and crawled on the floor and attempted to forcefully open other doors, as reported by WSVN. Ultimately, his efforts to re-enter the building failed and he was seen leaving to the west.
The bizarre case took a turn when yesterday, WPBPD officers found and arrested Machado at a drug rehabilitation center in western Palm Beach County. As detailed by CBS12, he was taken to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Main Detention Center, where he now faces charges of unarmed burglary of an unoccupied structure and possession of a controlled substance.
The West Palm Beach Fire Department’s hazardous materials team were called to the scene to ascertain the nature of the white powder, which was confirmed to be cocaine. Clothing items left behind, which included a t-shirt and a pair of Nike sneakers, played a key role in helping law enforcement to quickly track down Machado.
