A bearded man in a black hat and shoulder bag is being sought by Pasco Sheriff's deputies after he allegedly walked into a business in the 11000 block of US 19 in Port Richey last Monday afternoon and stole from a victim inside. The theft happened around 2:22 p.m., and investigators still have not identified the suspect.
According to the Pasco Sheriff's Office, the man was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, a pink or red undershirt, dark colored shorts, black sneakers, a black jacket and a black hat. Deputies describe him as a white male with a beard who was carrying a shoulder bag at the time of the incident. The case has been assigned number 26030151, and anyone contacting investigators is asked to reference that number specifically.
ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY: Pasco Sheriff’s Office deputies are attempting to identify the below individual in connection with an active criminal investigation.
— Pasco Sheriff (@PascoSheriff) August 26, 2026
On Aug. 24, around 2:22 p.m., an unidentified suspect entered a business and stole from a victim in the 11000 block of US 19… pic.twitter.com/7UoJHQyYHS
How Deputies Are Asking the Public to Help
The sheriff's office is requesting any information the public may have about the suspect's identity or the circumstances of the case. Tips can be submitted online at pascosheriff.com/tips, and residents who prefer to remain anonymous can call the Crime Stoppers of Tampa Bay tip line at 1-800-706-2488.
The agency, which covers west central Florida, regularly leans on this kind of public outreach when a commercial theft doesn't produce an immediate arrest. Because Florida's public records law exempts active criminal investigative information from release until a case is closed or charges are filed, surveillance images and brief public appeals like this one are often the only details the sheriff's office can share while the investigation continues.
A Recurring Pattern Along the US 19 Corridor
US Highway 19 functions as western Pasco County's main commercial strip, and it has generated a steady stream of theft investigations for local deputies. In April, deputies investigated another commercial theft farther north along the corridor in the 10000 block, appealing to the public under a separate case number, according to Hernando County News.
Pasco deputies have issued similar calls for help elsewhere in the county in recent weeks. Hoodline previously reported that deputies sought four individuals connected to an early morning vehicle theft on Sea Pines Drive in nearby Hudson, and separately hunted a suspect accused of breaking into multiple vehicles overnight in San Antonio, Florida. Last year, deputies also asked the Port Richey community to help identify a suspect in the theft of a Shimano e-bike, a case that Hoodline covered under the headline Suspect Sought in E-Bike Theft.
What the Theft Could Mean Legally
Whether the man now being sought would face a felony or misdemeanor charge depends heavily on the value of whatever was taken. Under Florida Statute § 812.014, theft of property valued at $750 or more is prosecuted as third-degree grand theft, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, while theft of anything under that threshold is charged as petit theft, a misdemeanor carrying up to a year in jail, according to the Sammis Law Firm. Florida raised that felony threshold from $300 to $750 back in October 2019 to account for inflation. The sheriff's office has not disclosed what was stolen or its value, consistent with the state's exemption for active investigative records.
Anyone who submits a tip should also be aware that knowingly filing false information with law enforcement, including through an online tip portal, is itself a first-degree misdemeanor under Florida law, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Deputies continue to ask that anyone with information reference case number 26030151 when they come forward.
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