Bartow police are asking for the public's help identifying a man accused of stepping onto a resident's front porch and repeatedly kicking the front door before fleeing the scene. The incident happened Tuesday on Oakwood Loop S, and investigators say the man caused roughly $50 in damage to the door before driving off in a sedan.
According to the Bartow Police Department, the suspect entered the curtilage of the residence's front porch, opened the screen door, and then kicked the front door numerous times. Police say he then left in a vehicle traveling northbound away from the home. Investigators describe the vehicle as a newer-model four-door sedan, either gray or white, though its exact make and model remain unclear.
The department is seeking the public's help in identifying the man or determining his whereabouts. Anyone with information is asked to call the Bartow Police Department at 863-534-5034 and request to speak with the on-duty patrol supervisor.
Why a Kicked Door Can Mean a Felony Charge
Although the physical damage to the door is estimated at only about $50 — an amount that would typically fall under Florida's misdemeanor criminal mischief statute, according to Online Sunshine — police are pursuing the case as residential burglary. Under Florida Statute § 810.02, entering a residence or its protected curtilage with intent to commit an offense is classified as burglary of a dwelling, a second-degree felony that can carry up to 15 years in prison, per Online Sunshine's statutory text.
The distinction hinges on intent. Florida statutory definitions in § 810.011, along with regional case law cited by the Weinstein Legal Team, hold that stepping onto an unenclosed porch without intent to commit an additional crime amounts to misdemeanor trespass — but proving intent to commit theft or mischief elevates that same porch entry to felony burglary. In this case, the acts of opening the screen door and repeatedly kicking the front door serve as the circumstantial evidence police are using to pursue the more serious charge.
Patrol Coverage and a Department in Transition
Oakwood Loop S falls within one of the six geographic beats patrolled around the clock by the Bartow Police Department's Uniformed Patrol Division, which operates four squads supervised by sergeants, according to the City of Bartow. Those patrol officers serve as the primary first responders to calls like this one.
The investigation comes as the department works through a period of staffing changes. In August, the agency swore in five new police officers, three dispatchers, a crime scene technician, and a police intelligence analyst at City Hall. That expansion followed the resignation of former Bartow Police Chief Stephen Walker, who stepped down after a city employee complaint prompted a preliminary inquiry that found the allegations against him credible, as Hoodline reported on leadership shakeup.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Polk County
This is not the first time Polk County prosecutors have applied the state's curtilage burglary statute to a front-porch incident. In August, a 35-year-old man was charged with felony burglary under § 810.011(2) after allegedly removing property from a neighbor's front porch, a case Hoodline covered when the suspect confessed to ripping a Ring camera off the porch. And in December 2025, a Bartow resident was arrested in neighboring Winter Haven on charges of violent home invasion and burglary with battery after allegedly kicking down a home's front door during an assault.
Community members with information about the Oakwood Loop S incident can also submit anonymous tips to Heartland Crime Stoppers by calling 1-888-400-TIPS or using the P3tips mobile app, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Tips leading to an arrest can be eligible for cash rewards up to $3,000. No suspect has been identified publicly, and the man's whereabouts remain unknown as the search continues.
